11.06.2003

Jesus saves the Class of '04 -- very interesting tangle over religion and a public school yearbook in good old Orange County, CA. Several students wore t-shirts spelling out "Jesus <3's U" and whatnot for the senior picture -- the principal nixed it, and the kids walked out. If this were a final exam in a Constitutional Law class, you'd have to wonder what the difference is between these shirts and kids who wear crucifixes, etc. in their individual portraits. Is it the group photo aspect? Is it the directness of the message? Despite one kid's weak rationale ("We wanted to express how important Christianity is in our lives...We weren't trying to impose our beliefs on others"), the expression "Jesus is the way" seems pretty definitive to me. Would it make a difference if the the shirts said "My personal belief is that Jesus is the way"? What if the kids all wore shirts from their school club, "Brothers and Sisters in Christ"? Muy interesante...

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