A Small Statement

I received an email today that struck me odd. So i'm going to post this email followed by some of my comments.

It's in the form of a prayer.

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

I'm feeling slightly overwhelmed by this "prayer." So i'm going to break it down for the author, one stanza at a time.

Stanza 1: Not everyone at your school is Christian. If you were a Christian and went to a school that was mostly Buddhist's, would you be willing to participate in a Buddhist ritual? If you were forced to participate in the ritual, would that be sacrilege towards Christianity? Would you switch schools? Where would you go? This is why we have the public school system, the catholic school system or you could choose to go to a private school. There is a choice.

Stanza 2: I have already made my point in Stanza 1 about the first 2 lines. It's not a Federal matter to bow your head! Pray all you want. But don't push your beliefs on someone else by making them pray with you. There are no laws saying that you can not worship God. Just find a quiet space during recess at school, and go sit and pray.. Or.. wait.. is praying a chore for you? Do you want class time to pray? If this is the case, I believe you have a long spiritual journey ahead of you.

I hate to say it, but i'm too frustrated to continue. Religion is not under attack in this prayer, this is retaliation from the ignorant Christians in the world. People dye their hair, people pierce their bodies. Just like having one earring in your right ear does not change your sexual orientation. Your hair color or piercings does not change your beliefs. Religion is free, and that hopefully will never change. But to be pushing your personal beliefs on someone who believes something completely different makes me sick. If they are looking to convert to a different religion, they will initiate it. Don't make the choice for them.