Georgia High School Band Plays Religious Hymn at Football Game August 30, 2015

Georgia High School Band Plays Religious Hymn at Football Game

It was just last week when West Laurens High School (Georgia), which used to have illegal pre-game invocations over the loudspeakers, tried out a moment of silence instead. The change took place following a warning from Americans United for Separation of Church.

But Friday night, the band director pushed God into the game in a different way:

“Amazing grace, how sweet thou sound.” Many have heard the popular Christian hymn, and at West Laurens High, fans say the school’s band has always played the tune.

Though it’s tradition, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, says its unconstitutional. In a letter Friday to the school district, they demanded the band cease all religious hymns.

In AU’s most recent letter, they stated that the band director, Michael Dukes, violated the constitution further and “reached out to local churches to bring their members out to the game.”

They asked the Laurens County Board of Education to ensure that the hymn stop, and that Dukes cease the promotions of prayer at the school.

Dukes told us in a response to AU’s letter “we’re not doing anything illegal.”

He promises to keep tradition and keep directing his band to play “Amazing Grace.”

This is how these Christians work: They’ll wave a finger millimeters from your face and pretend they’re not touching you. When you tell them to stop, they whine.

“Amazing Grace” isn’t music to get the crowd pumped up during halftime. It’s a way to push Christianity into the event with a knowing wink at the audience. If churches were contacted to come out to the game, it’s just another piece of evidence that there’s no educational component to this.

At the same time, until they touch your face, it’s hard to win a lawsuit. It’s unclear, legally, if they’ve crossed the line. But they have a foot on the edge just waiting to step over.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Brian for the link)

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