We Changed this Popular Christian Meme to Show What Religious Freedom Really Means

[beam me up scottie]

We Changed this Popular Christian Meme to Show What Religious Freedom Really Means
August 24, 2015 by Tracey Moody

When I first saw this Qpolitical meme with its message of sweeping ignorance (276,000+ likes and counting) come across my Facebook feed, I rolled my eyes and shared it to the Friendly Atheist Facebook page for our followers to demolish:

?1

I included the caption, “Agreed. Is someone trying to take that right away? If so, it’s news to us.”
Disliking the viewpoint expressed in a meme is one thing — the message being objectively wrong is another.
In typical persecuted Christian fashion, they created a controversy out of thin air and waged war in defense of religious freedom, one that extends only to those who love Jesus. In reality, public school teachers and students alike have every right to pray in school, and nobody is trying to take that away. To the contrary, the vast majority of secularists will defend your right to pray anywhere you choose.

That’s the beauty of religious freedom as granted by the First Amendment. It protects your right to practice your religion freely, just as it protected you from the religious impositions of others.

To demonstrate how church/state separation advocates are the true defenders of religious freedom, I’ve manipulated Qpolitical’s meme a bit… I doubt they’ll mind.

#1)

?1

Absolutely agreed.


#2)

?1

Agreed, totally.


#3)

?1

I fully agree. Isn’t this what you’re in support of, persecuted Christians?


#4)

?1

I’m agreeing so hard right now.


#5)

?1

N to the O, NO!



Teacher-led prayer in a public school is violating the religious freedom of any child who is not compliant. Prayer should not be forced on any student or faculty member, including over the loudspeaker, or at after-hour school functions such as sporting events.

If you don’t agree with #1 – #4, it’s time you ask yourself why you’re so opposed to religious freedom.

Well done, Tracey Moody.

[NeoGreen]

1. I differenciate between...

...public and private schools, and whether that specific ritual of religious indoctrination, otherwise know as prayer as lead by the child's instructor, should be allowed.

As stated in the OP, pretty much anyone may pray in a public school at any time, unless by doing so they are disruptive to others, which is pretty standard for any "thought" activity, no matter how ridiculous, repugnant or irrelevant. Heck I spent many an hour day dreaming in public schools, which is not functionally different than a silent, to-your-self {and in keeping with Matt 6: 6-7 for the "Christians" amongst us} prayer.

[beam me up scottie]

2. The meme is that teh evul secularsts are preventing them from praying.

How we're doing that I don't know since Gawd is supposed to be everywhere.

Can he not read their minds?

[NeoGreen]

3. If we want to truely stop prayer in schools...

...we should eliminate math tests.

[beam me up scottie]

4. !

[Lordquinton]

9. But no school that takes public money should be exempt

And a whole lot of private schools are accepting those handy vouchers, so the same rules need to apply.

[NeoGreen]

10. No doubt, but there is the rub...

...those sneaky "end-around" vouchers.

[AlbertCat]

5. I love how the Christian pray-ers are 60+ year old pictures

We secularists musta won already! (like in 1789)

That or


RED SCARE!

[beam me up scottie]

6. I noticed that too!

That was before the great Madalyn Murray O'Hair went and ruined public school's Christian indoctrination.

[Arugula Latte]

8. While you're at it ... Duck and Cover!

[Arugula Latte]

7. I agree!