Comp 1 Mrs. Baker October 5, 2014 Religion vs. The Constitution Laws are put in place to keep peace and justice among us, but is there certain a time when breaking the law is the right thing to do Since the beginning of time, good people have broken laws to make changes for the better. In 1955, Rosa Parks, an elderly black female refused to give up her seat on a bus to a selfish young white man. Although she was arrested, she took a big step for equal rights. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in 1963 for protesting equal treatment for blacks in Birmingham, Alabama. He was questioned and mocked by other priests from around Alabama and he simply replied to their questions and doubt by writing them a letter from his jail cell in Birmingham. He explained to them that some laws are worth being broken, and that you must fight for the things in which you believe. If you look hundreds of years back, even Jesus Christ was arrested and brutally beaten for claiming to be the son of God. I truly believe that occasionally, certain laws should be broken. The First Amendment guarantees the freedom to religion, but how far can students and/or staff go in expressing their faith Unlike private schools, public schools must follow the laws set forth by The Constitution. The Constitution states that the law prohibits the discussion of Christianity or any other religious values in the classroom. Bus drivers that drive for public schools are required to not display any holiday decorations and are forced to take down any decorations that are hanging up. The Constitution also says that public prayers at high school games are prohibited. This is a law that I believe should be broken. Praying before a school sporting event shows that not quite all of our country has been corrupted yet. I am proud when I go to a ball game, and they pray before the game starts, no matter which team is playing On the flip side, The Constitution does allow certain religious values to be publicly displayed. The Constitution states that invocations, benedictions, and prayers are allowed at graduation ceremonies. Students are free to hold and organize Bibles studies within the school. The school is also allowed to ban these religious clubs, but to do so, they must put an end to all student groups. Teachers that teach history or science based classes are able to explain the effects of religion on different cultures around the world, but they are not allowed to show favoritism toward any specific religion. Students, unlike faculty, are able to practice their freedom of speech by expressing their view on religion outside of the classroom in places such as the hall and lunch room. Publicly displaying our Christian views is a great way to witness to a large group at a time. If Christians would stand up for their religion and go against the ways of the world, we could accomplish so much and we could truly make a difference. In a debate class at Florida Atlantic University, an atheist professor tells his class to simply write the word Jesus on a piece of paper, then drop it, and stomp on it. One brave young boy stood up and respectfully explained to his professor how this went against his religion. He refused do it. The professor, along with the university, was outraged. The university decided to kick that student out of the class for not complying with the professors instructions. Word got out to Christians across the country, and they took a stand against the university. The governor of Florida, with the rest of the Christians in America behind him, pushed Florida Atlantic University to not only dismiss the students disciplinary action, but he also sent the professor on administrative leave. Unfortunately, the professor was able to come back to the university, but
