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Fed Judge Sides With Teen Atheist & Orders Public School to Remove Prayer Mural

Jan. 12, 2012 11:12am Billy Hallowell

Jessica Ahlquist Wins Prayer Banner Lawsuit Against Cranston High School West

Jessica Ahlquist (left) (Photo Credit: AP)

A federal judge has ruled in favor of a teenage atheist whose fight for the removal of a prayer mural in her public high school in Cranston, Rhode Island, has attracted national attention.

Jessica Ahlquist, 16, who was represented by the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, was elated on Wednesday when her lawsuit against Crayton city and officials at Cranston High School West came to a close. In the ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lagueux said that the school must remove the banner immediately. Additionally, he decided that legal fees should be provided to the plaintiff.

Ahlquist’s main argument in the case has been that a prayer mural present in her school’s auditorium is offensive to non-Christians. Additionally, she claims that it has made her feel ostracized and, thus, she has petitioned fervently for its removal.

Here’s a news report from April 2011, during which Ahlquist discusses her opposition to the mural:

The banner, she contends, promotes religion. But city officials have argued that the mural plays an important role in the school’s history and that it is, in fact, an artifact worthy of being displayed.

Officials maintain that the prayer serves no religious purpose and that it merely encourages students to work hard academically. It does, as the Associated Press notes, begin with “Our Heavenly Father” and end with “Amen” — elements obviously associated with religious prayer.

Photo Credit: WPRO News Talk

In his decision Lagueux said, “The purpose of the prayer banner was clearly religious in nature” and he also said, “No amount of debate can make the school Prayer anything other than a prayer, and a Christian one at that.” He went on to state that the presence of the prayer was essentially a governmental endorsement of religion, reiterating his believe that, “The Government must not appear to take sides on issues of religious beliefs.”

Watch Ahlquist address the banner in a talk to the Secular Student Alliance in 2011:

Cranston School Committeeman Frank Lombardi, who had voted in support of the banner and who believed it truly was more secular in nature, voiced his disappointment with the ruling. “I really believe the purpose of this banner was more traditional in nature, more secular in nature, it wasn’t to promote any sort of religion or anything like that,” he said in an interview with the Matt Allen Show (listen here).

“I am upset, disappointed and not to say, outraged,” said David Bradley, who penned the prayer when he was in seventh grade in 1963. “It’s a shame that some judge with an appointment out of a Cracker Jack box can make a ruling like that.”

Ahlquist, though, couldn’t have been happier. She took to her Twitter account to voice her excitement over the decision:

Jessica Ahlquist Wins Prayer Banner Lawsuit Against Cranston High School West

City officials have 10 days to respond to the decision. They have not yet decided if they will appeal.

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Comments (894)

SpoonFork
Posted on March 23, 2012 at 7:57pm
Praying is fine, it’s government sponsored prayer which is a no no.
the First Amendment is meant to preserve individual rights
For the men who wrote the Religion Clauses of the First Amendment the ‘establishment’ of a religion connoted sponsorship, financial support, and active involvement of the sovereign in religious activity. They prohibited, what may be deemed governmental promotion of religious doctrine.

The Treaty of Tripoli further proves that the government was intended to be religiously neutral. It was ratified unanimously by the senate and proposed by John Adams.

I can’t understand why someone would not be offended by government sponsored religion. No matter what religion you are, you should fight to have your religion free from government promotion. Be religious because you want to, let your religious teachings stand on their own merit and use them because they are objectively good. Everyone should be for this. But instead they are misguided and try to force their religion others. your religion is personal and the state becoming involved is a clear violation of individual liberty by the government. It’s the most blasphemous thing I can think of and it hurts any faith.

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Sheeples
Posted on January 19, 2012 at 6:53pm
@TeriPettit
You stated: “The same principle applies for Alquist. It’s really just the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Something that isn’t too hard to understand. :)”

Alquist sure didn’t live by the golden rule so apparently for some it is hard to understand. After reading Jessica’s Twitter account, I doubt that she would appreciate or stay silent if I decided to make the school take down her atheist pledge (which I would NOT be offended by).

Jessica, you do not even know what the 1st Amendment means. BTW, you do not speak or stand up for my rights. You acted out of your selfishness.

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commonsensefreethinker1
Posted on January 18, 2012 at 4:55pm
Hey 912ER,
In response to your post ” the Declaration comes from god” I just have to ask, who got the phone call from god to approve it.? OH SORRY! NO PHONES THEN. UH? I MEAN THE , I DO’NT KNOW I GIVE UP. AND HOW MANY COFFEE SHOPS SAY THAT THEY SERVE THE WORLDS BEST CUP OF COFFEE? JUST BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN DOS’NT MEAN IT IS TRUE. AND YES, THAT GOES FOR THE BIBLE ALSO.

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svan71
Posted on January 18, 2012 at 11:44am
what an ***** compares America one nation under God to Iran….unbelievable the straw horses you idiots pull from your bum..

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svan71
Posted on January 18, 2012 at 11:40am
was anyone else offended in nearly 50 years

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Bejeezuz
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:19pm
Are you kidding me? Count the number of religious posts on here…

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Bejeezuz
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:04pm
She was probably already ostricized for her beliefs or for being smart. I was ostracized as a kid for not joining the middle school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Plenty of non-Christians are ostracized.

Most atheists are not trying to stop religion or hate or even have a problem with religion – we just don’t want to have our taxpayer money support your religion or anyone else’s religion.

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- Sheeples
  Posted on January 19, 2012 at 7:04pm
  Which tax dollars of yours are being used toward religion? Please explain.
  
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Bejeezuz
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 10:56pm
I think if Jesus Christ was here and read some of these posts, he would weep with shame at how people have warped his teachings.

This girl has been threatened with beatings by her good Christian neighbors. Not sure Jesus would approve… I seem to remember a parable about “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone…”

BTW – the laws that took that Christian prayer off the walls will also protect the children from Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, or even atheist proclamations being posted on that same wall. It is a great country. They get to make their own choices without having ANY religious things posted on that wall.

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Bejeezuz
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 10:48pm
Barry Goldwater, the Father of Conservatism, before Conservatism became the tool of religion:

“There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God’s name on one’s behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ and ‘D.’ Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of ‘conservatism.’ ” (1909-1998) US Senator (R-Arizona) Source: Congressional Record, September 16, 1981

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Iphelix
Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:32pm
I think now, she truly will be ostracized. Her parents should be proud. Now if some neo nazi proceeds to administer a beat down to this young lady, to exactly what moral (not legal authority) authority will she appeal? She would have no philosophical basis upon which she could deprecate that behavior.

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Roros
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 9:28pm
Now, do you understand what just one person can do?. Is there no one left to defend us?.

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render1960
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 8:25pm
what we need to do as christian is to stand up and fight, it is time we stand togeather protestant and
catholic to destroy all that stand against use. lord give us the strength to defeit our enemys

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hineni
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 7:32pm
I am convinced the ACLU machine chose this useful idiot for their own agenda. I expect we will see much more of this kind of religious war.

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- Bejeezuz
  Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:07pm
  There is no war. She was only cleaning up a violation of the law. Atheists don’t have a war on religion, we just don’t want our taxes paying for your religion.
  
  Or, would you rather the government supported a religion, as works so well in Iran?
  
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Chazz Michael Michaels
Posted on January 16, 2012 at 3:52pm
http://cdn.lolhappens.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Whatyougonnado.jpg

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MissyT
Posted on January 15, 2012 at 5:43pm
Agree that the only way to stem the tide is to take your money and donate it to whatever candidate will support free choice schools – you take them to another school which has what you want your child to learn – not the PTA, not the legislators, etc., then when the other schools close down because of non-support there will be more understanding of what is right and wrong. The schools call you before you give an asprin, but not an abortion; you’ll be sued if your child drinks but not if they give them a condom. what in the world is going on – why don’t parents stand up in outrage?

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