This year, students from more than 20 other countries are also expected to join in the celebration as the student-initiated and student-led movement continues to grow.
From SYATP started in the feet. Worth suburb of Burleson, Texas, in 1990, the movement has extended its reach to places like Canada, Korea, Japan, Turkey and the Ivory Coast.
"For 20 years we have seen this day serve as a springboard for unity among teenagers in high school and universities," said Paul Fleischmann, president of the National Network of Youth Ministries, which coordinates SYATP promotion.
"See you at the Pole unites students in prayer at the beginning of the school year," he adds. "Challenging young people to assume leadership on campus is always a good idea. Every year brings a new challenge for them to serve their friends."
Over the weekend, religious congregations across the country showed their support by sponsoring SYATP special "Campus Challenge Sunday" commissioning before the event. Congregations recognized and prayed for Christian students and educators in their congregations.
I also support the effort is Ariz.-based legal group Alliance Defense Fund, which has lawyers ready to defend students who are affected by public school officials to participate in SYATP.
In preparation for the national event this year, the ADF's lawyers prepared a five-page legal memorandum to inform all staff and participants SYATP of their legal rights and precedents that entitle them to inform people about and participate in the Annual event of student prayer.
"Christian students should not be prevented peacefully expressing their beliefs outside of class time," said ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman. "As the U.S. Supreme Court has stated, do not abandon their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse door."
According to the note of ADF legal documents, students have a constitutional right to participate in SYATP through prayer and worship activities. Moreover, students have a constitutional individual right to inform their colleagues about the event SYATP provided no materially disrupting the academic process while doing so.
In addition, if the school allows individual students and student groups to advertise events through the bulletin boards of the school, school public address systems, general brochures school, or other means, the school can not prohibit the same means of advertising for the event SYATP.
"Officials uninformed public schools have to understand that the First Amendment does not prevent students from promoting or participating in" See you at the Pole "," Cortman comments. "In contrast, blocking prevents officials students do so. "
According to a recent survey by the First Amendment Center, most Americans (61 percent) can name the freedom of expression as a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. Only 23 percent, however, was able to appoint religious freedom as part of the rights of the First Amendment. Although extremely low for a nation where over 80 percent identify with a religion, that mark was the second highest among the other rights of the First Amendment (freedom of expression after) and was the highest recorded by the Center First Amendment of this right since it began its annual survey in 1997.
Knowing this, automatic document feeder along with other Christian legal groups have made a point to report to schools that the U.S. Constitution does not preclude such events SYATP but actually does the opposite and protects the rights of students to participate.
0 comments:
Post a Comment