Rev. Barry W. Lynn: April 2009 Archives

Well, Jay, we didn't agree about holding graduations in churches.  It looks like we won't agree on what students can say or do at graduation, either.

Songs which mention God are usually called "hymns."  Hymns are prayers set to music.  Prayers should not be a part of a public junior high graduation ceremony.  Although the facts you relate in your post about the California case are pretty sparse, it seems completely appropriate for the school to veto inclusion of a "song [that] mentions God" at the event.  (Frankly, I'd prefer never to see tap dancing on general principle, but the First Amendment wouldn't allow a government body to bar such performances all together.)

Jay, let me assure you and all our commentators that I would be similarly upset about a public school graduation in a mosque or in a predominantly GLBT Metropolitan Community Church. The doctrine of this particular church is, of course, relevant because it is recognized in the community as holding views that any reasonable person could predict would make some folks extremely uncomfortable. Secular venues are available and ought to be used.

Well, Jay, let's move from the national scene to a local one. Americans United has now filed a precedent-setting lawsuit challenging the use of a church for a public high school graduation ceremony in Wisconsin.

We had asked a number of Wisconsin schools to stop the practice of holding graduations in churches.  One complied, but the Elmbrook School District did not. It wants to go on having its activities in the Elmbrook Church in early June. 

This shouldn't even be a close question. The church has an enormous cross in its sanctuary (not surprising for a church) and plenty of other religious symbols throughout the building (also not surprising).  The church refuses to cover up the icons of the faith, and I certainly understand that as well.  What I don't understand is why the two schools involved, years ago, didn't start looking for another locus for the celebration of graduation day. Motivation should have been increased after church members distributed church literature to attendees in the lobby one year.

I've been out in California a few days and I'm constantly hearing people ask: "Why doesn't the Right ever give President Obama a break?"  What they mean is that literally every day the hosts of Fox News, the Drudge Report, and bloggers on your side of the fence find some new nitpicking complaint to file.

As I was leaving for an event last night, a debate was occurring on cable about whether the President should have accepted a book from Hugo Chavez (that turned out to be about United States exploitation in Latin America) and then shaken his hand?  What should he have done when a world leader hands him something, the contents of which are not even known?  Throw it on the floor?  Spit on the giver?  This would be laughable criticism if it wasn't part of an incessantly repeating pattern.

Last week, conservatives were upset that the President "took too much credit" for ending the Somali hostage incident.  Too much credit would have been holding a press conference on a naval vessel with a parrot on your shoulder and a banner reading "Pirate Mission Accomplished" overhead.  The President merely explained what decisions he made and commended the bravery of all involved.

Jay, I can't believe you have gotten roped into complaining about the Department of Homeland Security's recent assessment of potential terrorist threats from right-wing groups. You are joining Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and "columnist" Michelle Malkin in making a mountain out of a molehill.  In fact, this is an instance when the molehill is a warning any responsible person would want to know about lest they ignore a possible infestation of vermin in and from their own front yard.

Janet Napolitano issued a report last week which noted, among other things, that "right-wing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent isssues".  Two of those issues are abortion and immigration.  The report simply points out that the election of Barack Obama has led to anger among fringe characters about the direction of the country.  I should note that the Southern Poverty Law Center has documented the growth of activity around really extreme Web sites which feed off hatred against African-Americans.

Maybe  James Dobson was just having a particularly bad day.  As the top Religious Right leader gave a "farewell speech" to the staff at Focus On the Family he noted that "we are awash in evil" and that "humanly speaking,...

Jay, I'm happy to talk about your fears about creeping internationalism and the end of United States sovereignty.  But wait!  You provide no evidence that this administration wants to give up America's constitutional form of government or even its currency (that fear...