Persecution: to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically :to cause to suffer because of belief.
See. I get it. You feel harassed. You feel punished. You’re grieved. You are being made to suffer because of your beliefs. Or are you? If I disagree with you, am I making you suffer? Is my opinion as hot as a branding iron on your skin? Have I denied you your right to your beliefs by disagreeing with you? If I ask you to kindly worship and believe in your way on your time and to keep your beliefs out of our state funded schools, am I persecuting you? Is that really harassment? Don’t we have the same constitutional right to worship, or not, in whichever manner we choose as long as we don’t bring our beliefs, or non-beliefs, into a state sanctioned environment? I’m certain we do. Freedom to worship does not include freedom to indoctrinate. It simply is what it is. Freedom to choose how YOU worship. You do not get to decide how anyone else does that. They do not get to decide for you. You certainly may not violate the sanctity of separation and cry “persecution” when someone else calls you out on it. We don’t get to touch each other on this. Neither of us can breach the barrier that protects us from a state mandated religion. Schools are our neutral zones. And we must both protect them. No one is telling individuals they can’t pray. They ARE telling people with authority inside those schools that they may not include students in prayers that are specific to that employee’s belief. It’s the sacrifice you agreed to when you took that role on. You will not indoctrinate the youth in your protection; they are vulnerable and attend school because they are required. When you force them to participate in your religion, even unintentionally, You are stripping them of their right to choose how they worship. The very thing you are crying out is being done to you. So please protect the sanctity of their constitutional right to choose how to worship, or not, and In return, your freedom to worship in other public forums will protected.
I’m gonna throw a little edit and leave it right here too, for anyone who starts screaming about rights. Because my basic understanding is that Christianity is beholden to the teachings of their leader, mainly that Jesus guy: Matthew 6:6
Bountiful Words, Beautiful World 