The Tyranny of Political Correctness: Houston County Schools Says No Prayers or Hymns at Graduation Due to Complaints

WMAZ-TV (Macon) reports today that due to complaints from the Freedom from Religion Foundation, there will be no prayers or hymns at Houston County graduation ceremonies this year.

Houston County Schools superintendent [Robin Hines] says the programs for this year's graduations won't feature any prayers or hymns, due to complaints about last year's.

He said the district doesn't want to break the law.

Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, said people can pray silently and quietly at a public school ceremony but should not impose that ritual on others.

"They [people who founded America] did not want to be told who to worship, or how to worship or who to give tithes to," said Gaylor. "And when they send their children to public schools they don't send them to the schools to be indoctrinated-but to be educated."

O'Donnell, Bernard (2 May 2013). Hines: No Prayers, Hymns at Houston Graduations This Year. WMAZ-TV. Retrieved on 2 May 2013.

What's happened in Houston County is a fine example of the tyranny of political correctness. It's ironic that an organization calling themselves the "Freedom from Religion Foundation" just denied the freedom of someone else to pray. It's not illegal to pray in a public square. And a high school graduation certainly qualifies as a public square. In fact, two years ago, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled it should not be illegal for students to say prayer at a graduation ceremony [CNN Wire Staff (3 June 2011). Appeals court allows prayer at Texas high school's graduation. CNN. Retrieved on 2 May 2013.].

That being said, I encourage the students in Houston County to rebel against the tyranny of political correctness. Do as is instructed in 1 Thessalonians 5:17:

Pray without ceasing.

Make a joyful noise.

Assert your freedom to worship as you see fit.