Forget the issue of the Earth revolving around the Sun, some atheists think that the universe revolves around them. Enter Rob Sherman who sued to persecute thought crimes.
“‘It’s good, it’s what I wanted,’ Sherman said. He said the law was designed to unconstitutionally ‘proselytize Christianity to a captive audience’ of school children’_Sherman said Thursday he would work with ‘friendly legislators’ to reverse the law.”1
On his own website Rob Sherman posted an announcement that his daughter is “to receive prestigious John Peter Altgeld Award this Saturday from the Chicago Tribune McCormick Freedom Museum and the Newberry Library for her vigorous and successful defense of the First Amendment in the ‘Moment of Silence’ lawsuit.” [bold in original].
The Newberry Library posted the following announcement:
“In the spirit of courageous advocacy of freedom of speech, the John Peter Altgeld Award will be presented to **** Sherman, a student who challenged her high school’s implementation of the Illinois Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act. Her initial lawsuit resulted in an injunction from U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman prohibiting the law’s continued observation at Buffalo Grove High School, then expanded into a class-suit allowing other students and school districts statewide to participate. Ultimately, on May 29, 2008, Gettleman applied the injunction to the entire State of Illinois while the constitutionality of the law is considered.
‘This year’s Altgeld Award honors young people who stand up for their First Amendment freedoms in the schools they attend even when it is unpopular,’ said Shawn Healy, resident scholar, McCormick Freedom Musuem [sic]. ‘Sherman represents the noble cause of civic activism that will without doubt inspire students across Illinois to stand up for what they believe is right, and to be active participants in this constitutional democracy’” [I am not publishing her name since she is a 14 yr old child].
Rob Sherman
Perhaps the problem is that the law was entitled, “The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act.” This title is a big red flag that attracts atheist activists like so many rabid bulls. The latest measure sought to make the previously optional moment of silence required (not optional or required for individual students but for school districts). The new measure stated that “the period shall not be conducted as a religious exercise” and does not propose penalties for incompliant schools.
Please understand that Rob Sherman and the child whom he is indoctrinating into atheist activism “contend that the law providing for ‘silent prayer or for silent reflection on the anticipated activities of the day’ runs afoul of the constitutional separation of church and state.”2 Did you understand that? Allowing for prayer is unconstitutional. Allowing a student to pray silently and privately is illegal. But what is the bottom line of the atheist complaint? You guessed it to squeltch the vast right-wing-Christian-conspiracy. Rob Sheman stated, “What we object to is Christians passing a law that requires the public school teacher to stop teaching during instructional time, paid for by the taxpayers, so that Christians can pray.”3
The child stated that her intention was, “I just don’t want my education to be interrupted.”4 This is certainly a virtuous goal. But I wonder, will she sue to make lunch illegal? After all, it interrupts her education.
I heard Rob Sherman and his daughter on the Michael Medved radion program and she was virtually unable to answer the most basic questions surrounding the issue. “But she is a mere child,” you say? Indeed, the is being used as a hand pupper through which the father expresses his prejudice.
Rob Sherman, apparently utilizing some form of Vulcan mind-meld to determine the immaterial thoughts and motivations of others, stated, “The whole purpose for changing the law is to get more prayer in the public schools and everybody knows it.”5
Astonishingly, “The ACLU_has declined to participate because it believes the Illinois statute is not legally objectionable.” Sure, the ACLU generally too busy protecting terrorists and pedophiles while attacking the Boy Scouts and the Ten Commandments but if they are passing up a chance to silence silence, to silence silent private prayer in a public governmental facility, then you know that something is very wrong with the lawsuit. In fact, Rob Sherman has already filed lawsuits seeking to ban Boy Scout meetings at public schools.6 “[ACLU of Illinois] Spokesman Ed Yohnka declined to explain the reasoning beyond noting the statute’s dual focus on meditation or prayer. A moment of silence during the school day is not legally objectionable, Yohnka said. A moment of prayer is. The legal distinction, however thin, is significant.”
The reason for stating that atheism is anthropocentric is that in rejecting God atheist have placed themselves as the highest being in the universe. The individual atheist sees themselves as the very height of creation, not only because there is no higher being but because they consider humanity the very pinnacle of evolution. Thus, in cases such as Rob Sherman’s, we perceive that the atheists sees any and every expression of religiosity as a personal affront. Certainly, he would argue that kinds can be silently prayerful on their own time and away from government property. But the point is that the very concept of a moment of silence, in which the kids are free to pray, think about the day that is ahead of them, or listen to the crickets chirping in their heads, is unconstitutional because kids might be praying on public property.
Part of me is actually a lot more empathetic to his cause since the premise, “The Silent Reflection and Student Prayer Act” is just asking for trouble. Yet, the entire concept of prayer, private or group, being illegal/unconstitutional is a recent convention. Consider that Thomas Jefferson, Mr. Separation of Church and State himself, attended Christian church services in the Capitol building which is something he did this through his two terms as president. Apparently, modern day liberals understand Thomas Jefferson’s concept of Separation of Church and State better than Jefferson himself understood.
The bottom line is that Rob Sherman wants to ensure that, in the public schools, the Christian God (to whatever extent He is “there”) is replaced by nothing-the god of atheism.