Comments about ‘'Messiah' moves from school to church — for now’

Freedom of religion under increasing attack, LDS leader says...

I'm glad I won't be among the herd of "ignert" creeps facing Jesus one of these days, and hearing Him ask, "Why persecuteth thou me?"

If you don't like the Messiah, don't go. Then it doesn't affect you. Very nearly all "classical music" is religious and in most cases, very Christian. Does that mean we shouldn't hear that type of music in a public school at all?

Tell these schmucks to pound sand. Oh by the way, isn't Abravanel Hall a government owned and run facility? Seems like the Messiah is performed in there every year. Hmmm.

Exactly what Elder Oaks was talking about. But we're supposed to shut up and take it.

I see the "open minded" left is at it again. "Don't mention God or Jesus in public or we will sue!!!!" Of course, you can use their names in vain in public as much as you want. The left will defend that till the cows come home and tell anyone who's offended to "loosen up." Simply unbelievable.

"The group is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation 'as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.'"

So the only way to protect religious freedom is to not let there be even a sliver of religious expression in public life?

"Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms. I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our “First Freedom,” the free exercise of religion."

"It's unconstitutional to use public funds to support religious activities"

What about that don't you understand? It is the law, and it is in our constitution. If Holladay wants to take taxpayer money to fund a religious activity, it absolutely should be called out on it. It's not an attack on religion to make you play by the rules.

What is some out of state group telling us in Utah what to do with our Christmas traditions? The Messiah is a renowned choral work independent of its religious text. There is nothing inherently wrong with having it sung on school property. Don't be intimidated by these Secular Regressive bullies. It's part of their agenda to threaten and intimidate. Stand up for your rights of exprsesion. They're the biggest hypocrites around; all for everybody elses' rights, except mine, as a TRADITIONALIST who will continue to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS" everywhere I go during December. And play SIlent Night. C'mon people, get a backbone! We don't need to be mean about it, but when other people are treding on OUR rights of expression, then that's it. I'm going to defend myself. You know what? I may just show up with a rag tag group of community citizens on School Property and have our own "Sing In" as a PROTEST to this Secular Regressive piffle.

To "Anonymous | 10:25 a.m." no, it isn't illegal to use public funds to support religious acrivities. It is illegal to establish a state religion. In this instance, the state is not supporting any particular religion.

Think of it this way, the state is establishing the religion of atheism by not funding anybody.

music which happens to have a religious theme DOES NOT qualify as the establishment of religion prohibited in our constitution. No one is forced to attend or support it. The school district probably charges all non-school users of its facilities for their use--I know ours does.

I think it's absurd that we can't mention Christmas in schools but we can have "Earth Day" and celebrate the "winter solstice". Both are religious holidays.

I think the founding Fathers of America, who were very christian would roll over in thier graves watching what America is turning into. Maybe this group should sue thier ancestors because they prayed while writing the declaration of independance and intermingled christianity or the cause of Christ with everything. This nation was founded upon Jesus Christ. It is shameful.

Patrick Henry a ratifier of the Constitution said: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here." (The Trumpet Voice of Freedom: Patrick Henry of Virginia, p. iii. )

"Granite District and Holladay each received a complaint letter in February and September from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The group is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation "as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.""

The First Amendment guarantees religous plurlaism - not religous hate. As long as the government does not favor one church over another/establishment (and in this case it was inter-denominational) then it is an abuse of power to prohibit the use of public property merely because the group has a religous theme. A religous group has the same right to use a school as any secular group; otherwise the govenement is guilty of discrimination.
Americans United is not a credible civil rights group and I am ashamed Holladay cowed to their brand of politically correct bullying and intolerance that has no constitutional basis.

To Pound Salt, we agree with your plan to hold a protest sing-in on school property or other public property. If the school district continues to cave, count us in. Just name time and place and we'll be there! Let's call it Civil Disobeience spiced with Christmas Spirit!

Th use of public facilities is no more banned to religious groups than non-religious groups. If groups outside of the school are allowed hold activities at the school, than their being reigious in nature should not disqualify them.
Knowing the intense hatred for the Latter-day Saints held by some, I fear that moving out of the neutral ground of the school to a religious venue will undermine the true inter-denominational nature of the event.
Let me state this one more time, allowing religious groups to use school property is REQUIRED by the constitution if ANY non-school groups are EVER allowed to use the school property.

What if you're Jewish,
What if you're Hindu,
What if you're Buddahist,
What if you're Muslim?

Think people,
It's called Karma.

What goes around, comes around.

The premise of Elder Oaks talk goes both ways.

If we as LDS want tolerence and acceptance -- show some for others.

Otherwise, it's just like my Mom and Grandma used to say:
It don't matter who's right or who's wrong --
if you'all can't get along and share - then NONE of you get anything.

Holladay City was using its tax funds to support the event sponsored by a religious group. The School District was giving the program special treatment despite it being sponsored by a religious group. The City & the District thus violate the Ut and the US Constitution.

I liked the comments by Billy Graham's daughter a year or so back, when asked why God would allow the terrible destruction during Katrina.
She said, and I paraphrase, I think God is a gentleman.
And when people say they don't want him in their schools, and they don't want him in their homes nor in their lives.
He pulls back and lets them go their own way.
From the LDS point of view, I say, free agency isn't free. We may do as we please, even curse God, but there will consequences.
And if you don't believe that, you have been utterly deceived by the great deceiver himself.
I wish there were some way to gently open peoples minds and hearts to realize who they are listening to.

Humanism was declared to be a religion by the US Supreme Court at least 100 years ago. It's stance is godless and completely contrary to Christianity, and is laced throughout our public school system's curriculum. Our tax dollars are definitely going to support it. Why isn't this organization going after that?

To the person who states that the founding fathers of this great nation were very Christian needs to look into history a little better. Last I checked, the American forefathers were a mix of deists, atheists, and Christian. But most of them were deists. Our America forefathers did NOT want their new government controlling their religious practices. That is why gods are not mentioned in the Constitution and why we have the Bill of Rights and Separation of Church and State.

No, you are wrong.

1947 Everson vs. Board of Education: No tax in any amount, large or small, can be levied to support any religious activities or institutions, whatever they may be called, or whatever form they may adopt to teach or practice religion. "