Deseret News | Court turns down student over religious speech

Reader comments
Court turns down student over religious speech

Of Course | 9:00 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

Of course, if she had chosen to mock or even curse God during her speech, that right would have been protected.

Anonymous | 9:09 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

Good for them. While I am a strong supporter of individual beliefs, it is not appropriate to preach to other students in this kind of venue.

splitme2 | 9:14 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

Just great!, students who don't want Christ in our speeches have all the rights in the world, but if someone wants to credit God with their success they can't say that? I'm confused!

Comments continue below

mike | 9:19 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

sounds like the right decision to me. She should find a venue other than a captive school audience for her religious speech.

@ Of Course and splitme2 | 9:26 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

Do you have any proof of that, or is it your personal opinion?

Anonymous | 9:27 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

Why do religious people always want to force feed others? They needed to suspend her.

B | 9:28 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

In this country, there is a church on every corner. She, and rest of you supporting her, can go there and preach your religion. Please stop pushing it on everybody else.

Truth | 9:31 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

She should have applauded abortion and rape. Liberals love that kind of stuff.

Bachman Turner | 9:35 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

Isn't the Big Oh? in China lecturing them that an "uncensored society is healthy?"

That is unless you are Christian.

Dude, you should be home, taking care of business.

Mike | 9:39 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

What's the big deal. When I graduated, our valedictorian bore her testimony about Joseph Smith and the Church. By the way, she's not active anymore.

Just Me | 9:48 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

@Of Course, Splitme --- There is a HUGE difference between "crediting God for her success" and preaching a sermon. I do not know the entire story of it, but what it sounds from the story, it was a full on sermon about Christ and his sacrifice. Not appropriate for a valedictorian's speech. Sorry.

I would imagine if she was mocking God, she would be facing the same problems, just from the other side of the coin.

Difference... | 9:49 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

There is a difference between thanking God and proselytizing. If she had kept it with crediting God with her success, it probably would have been okay. When she started bearing her testimony, it was time to cut her off.

@Mike 9:39 | 9:51 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

"What's the big deal. When I graduated, our valedictorian bore her testimony about Joseph Smith and the Church. By the way, she's not active anymore."

Still doesn't make it appropriate. I am sure all the Catholics, Jews and any other religion in the audience was offened, but because its Utah, they aren't really allowed to say anything.

@ Mike | 9:54 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

What state were you in? How long ago was it? Were there any complaints afterward? Did the school know before hand that that is what she was going to do and warn her that it crossed lines and she needed to tone it down?

Censorship | 9:56 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

There is such a thing as appropriate "time and place." Banning the performing of an otherwise acceptable action in an inappropriate time or place is not censorship.

Please... | 10:25 a.m. Nov. 16, 2009

You all know that if she had started preaching Islam (or had even thanked Allah) you would be totally in favor of the school's action.

Monsieur le prof | 1:44 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009

I think the problem was that she strayed from her approved speech. That's why students have to submit them in the first place. She betrayed their trust.
There's a time and place for religious speech, but a school commencement isn't appropriate. There's a different purpose and audience.
I'm sure thanking the Lord for one's blessings would not have been stifled. Praising Allah or any other of these foolish, exaggerated suggestions would have been shut off, too.

Anonymous | 2:33 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009

to - Monsieur le prof | 1:44 p.m

["I'm sure thanking the Lord for one's blessings would not have been stifled. Praising Allah or any other of these foolish, exaggerated suggestions would have been shut off, too."]

I don't understand your comment. you say thanking the Lord (same as praising the Lord) for one's blessings would have been ok but praising Allah wouldn't have been ok?

I thought the Lord, God, and Allah were all the same.

so if she said "thank you God" she'd have been ok but if she said "praise be to Allah" it would have been a problem? when she is in fact saying the same thing?

please explain...

To Anonymous @ 2:33 | 4:25 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009

No, my God and Allah are not the same. My God teaches love and forgiveness. Allah teaches hate and murder. My God teaches that He has a Son, Jesus Christ. Allah disagrees. They are not the same god.

An Observer | 4:58 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009

NOT one[person here has made an argument fpr why it is wrong to talk about ones religion in a graduation speech,

whqt part of FREEDOM OF SPEECH don't the people understand?

Religious speech should and must have and stand on equal ground to any other speech.

It sounds anti-constitutional, sounds like censorship to me.

Anonymous | 5:11 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009

re -- To Anonymous @ 2:33 | 4:25 p.m

["No, my God and Allah are not the same. My God teaches love and forgiveness. Allah teaches hate and murder. My God teaches that He has a Son, Jesus Christ. Allah disagrees. They are not the same god."]

obviously you have a reading disability. if you read the old testament and the koran, you will see they are a lot alike and it IS the same God. So you either believe in both or neither. Pick.

you are confusing violent religious zealots with Islam. Two entirely different things. If a group of mormons went on a violence spree, would you want to be clustered in their group, or would you want to be identified as separately not violent? heck, you all don't even like being compared to the FLDS even though you're practically alike other than a few differences.

if muslims pray to an all-powerful God, and you do too, do you REALLY thionk they are two different Gods? doesn't your teaching state that there is only ONE God?

you seem confused...

@ An Observer | 7:45 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009

You are missing the pertinent part of your rights being your rights only as long as they do not infringe upon the rights of others.

You have freedom of speech, but you cannot yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater nor can you preach to a captive audience. Since those hearing the speech were not at liberty to walk out without repercussions, it was wrong for her to force her opinions on them.

You are absolutely right when you state, "Religious speech should and must have and stand on equal ground to any other speech." It must not, however, be raised above other speech such that the rights of others are violated.

RE: Bachman Turner | 9:35 a.m. N | 11:07 p.m. Nov. 16, 2009

"Dude, you should be home, taking care of business."

Please, NOOOO! let him stay away from his office longer. The more he's in his office the further our country heads towards socialism!!!!

I think she went a little too far in her speech giving an account of the Crucifixion. If she would have given God the glory and praise he deserves by thanking Him for being a part of her life in her speech, everything would have probably been ok. But she over did it in this venue.

Hoodwink | 12:08 p.m. Nov. 17, 2009

I think a huge part of the issue is she presented one speech to the school officials, then started to make another one. That's dishonest on her part. It's unfair to the school officials and sets a bad example.

"Be a Christian like me. By the way, I lied to the school officials in order to make this speech."

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