ACLU Calls Graduation in Cathedral “Unconstitutional”
December 13th, 2006 by Peter
ENFIELD — For Enfield school officials, First Cathedral of Bloomfield offered a solution to a problem: a place big enough to hold the graduation ceremony for Enrico Fermi High School’s Class of 2007.
But the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut says a church is the wrong venue for a high school graduation.
On Monday, the ACLU sent letters asking school officials in Enfield, and in South Windsor, which has held graduations at the church, to find religiously neutral facilities.
The organization contends that holding the ceremonies at First Cathedral violates the “establishment clause” in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
“We are writing you today to inform you that it is unconstitutional for Enrico Fermi High School to hold its graduation ceremony at the First Cathedral Church as planned,” states the letter written by ACLU staff attorney Sam Brooke…
ACLU officials didn’t return a call, and it could not be determined why they are filing the letter now. Both towns are considering the letter, but have made no decision.
What’s your point?
Yeah, I meant to post more but got called away while in the middle of typing.
My point is only that it’s a ridiculous demand and a misreading of the 1st amendment. The church even covers religious symbols during the ceremony but that’s still not good enough for secular absolutists.
C’mon Peter. You left out the part where First Cathedral’s Rev. LeRoy Bailey led a coalition of churches against Connecticut’s historic civil union legislation.
If this specific church hadn’t involved itself in the political sphere, I might agree with you that it’s no big deal to hold the graduation ceremonies at First Cathedral. Certainly they have an excellent facility that they rent out, (is that legal, btw), at very reasonable rates. (Their website says only $1,000/pop.) And from reading their website, I can’t tell what ecumenation FC belongs too. (non-denominational?)
As it stands, holding the graduations at this facility would cause a lot of controversy, as the majority of Nutmeggers are in favor of the legislation that Rev. Bailey so stridently opposed. No graduation ceremony should be marred by the divisiveness that First Cathedral represents.
It’s really too bad when churches enter the political arena, isn’t it? A place like FC should be a sanctuary for everyone in the community, and that’s why churches should keep the heck out of politics.
P.S. What I mean to say is that you can’t have it both ways. The moment churches start espousing political agendas, they forfeit their traditional role of neutrality within the community.
Oh TrueBlue, are you referring to Jesse Jackson preaching in some black church in Harlem?? Tell you what, we can make a deal – lets return to true unfettered freedom of religious expression, which was insured by the Constitution and our courts until 1947 and KKK Hugo Black. The ACLU foments its own religion of secular humanism. It is not question of neutrality – its a question of whose religion will reign supreme. Let the debate begin! I chose King Jesus over the ACLU any day of the week.
Rich, the ACLU does a lot of good things, but I agree it often goes over the top.
I never argued that First Cathedral and its clergy didn’t have the right to advocate in the manner in which I have. But it does make them politically loaded figures.
You sound passionate about both your religion and your politics, so here’s a question for you. Would you be comfortable if your child’s public school graduation were held at Rev. Jackson’s, (of Rev. Sharpton’s), church? I’ve gotta say that I wouldn’t be. I wouldn’t want to attend that kind of ceremony at a mosque or synagogue either. Would you?
One final question, in your heart of hearts, do you think Jesus would have a problem with the ACLU? Personally, I don’t think he would. Jesus preached tolerance, love, understanding, and in the Bible I read the only people Jesus was ever confrontational with were the false leaders occupying God’s church.
Finally, in what way do you think your religious expression has been “fettered” in this America of ours? I’m a Presbyterian, and I’ve never, ever felt as if the State, or anyone else, was infringing upon my rights to worship God as I see fit.
P.S. You refer to “King Jesus”. Yet didn’t Jesus refuse to take up that title when offered?
True Blue, before I get to your points I just want to say I appreciate the civility with which you engage our disagreements.
You seem to be arguing that a church is legitimately subject to something like the ACLU’s campaign against 1st Cathedral if and only if they take a stand on some matter of public importance. Do you really believe this? Should a church be subject to this treatment if it is active in the anti-war movement? Should the churches who supported Dr. King in the 50’s and 60’s been subjected to this sort of treatment? I only hear arguments like yours when a church takes up a politically incorrect cause that offends the Left.
Peter-
First, I believe in the separation of church and state. It’s basically the system we’ve been living under here in CT, and I think it’s pretty wonderful and healthy.
I wasn’t arguing against FC’s political activities; it’s a free country. I was pointing out that FC’s offer to use their facilities was a more loaded topic than commonsense might lead one to believe. (I mean it seems benign on the surface, and without knowing all the facts, I might agree the use of the sanctuary was reasonable. Certainly it solves the practical need.).
Again, would you be comfortable with public school graduations being held in Al Sharpton’s church? And for the record, the ACLU isn’t as one-sided as you might think. They’d take up a separation of church and state case in that instance too!