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If she were Hindu, Muslim, aboriginal or some religions practiced in Asia and Africa, she would be permitted to wear it under their THEIR OWN religious exemptions. They cannot legally pick and choose which religions to accept and which ones not to if it is indeed a recognized religion.
I generally agree with encouraging teens following the rules, IF the rules are applied legally, fairly and logically! Otherwise, I encourage teens to work hard and be part of the solution by helping to change the rules they don't agree with!
Either allow ALL religions in schools or allow NONE. I'd prefer the none myself, then we don't get into these expensive legal battles over something so stupid.
Disciples of the Church of Body Modification are allowed to pray in public schools, just as Christians and Buddhists and Zoroastrians are. Likewise, Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians are prevented from wearing facial piercings in this specific school, just like the Modificationists. Which religion do you perceive as being sanctioned by the schools?
And just wait until the Muslims, Sikhs and Conservative Jews find out they can't wear their head coverings in Wake county schools (at least according to the policy).
[EDIT: Before someone helpfully reminds me, yes, I know the policy says that reasonable exceptions will be made for religious beliefs.]
And just wait until the Muslims, Sikhs and Conservative Jews find out they can't wear their head coverings in Wake county schools (at least according to the policy).
But they are, because WCPSS allows it under their religious exemptions.
Disciples of the Church of Body Modification are allowed to pray in public schools, just as Christians and Buddhists and Zoroastrians are. Likewise, Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians are prevented from wearing facial piercings in this specific school, just like the Modificationists. Which religion do you perceive as being sanctioned by the schools?
And just wait until the Muslims, Sikhs and Conservative Jews find out they can't wear their head coverings in Wake county schools (at least according to the policy).
[EDIT: Before someone helpfully reminds me, yes, I know the policy says that reasonable exceptions will be made for religious beliefs.]
You're going under the assumption that the body modification people "pray". Praying is a way for the religions you mentioned to express their religion, just as a nose ring is a way for these people to express their religion.
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 09-25-2010 at 08:24 AM..
Reason: Deleted off-topic comments
It is silly for sure and hopefully the principal will back down and not subject the town to a long legal battle. It's all sematics anyways. You can not have a nose piercing but apparently you can have tongue piercing - at least I have seen girls with pierced tongues at Clayton High. The story made The View today and the girl will probably start the circuit of the morning shows and get her 15 minutes of fame. There was a case in New Englad years ago after the Red Sox won the world series. A boy wore his hair in braids like Bronson Arroyo and the principal sent him home because was against dress code (somehow). Principal ended up getting let go for not backing down. Caused a huge uproar though and the bottom line is, we can dress and look the way we want within the law.
According to an article that I just read on Yahoo:
"Richard Ivey, the Iaconos' Raleigh-based minister in the church, believes it's a case of officials dismissing something unfamiliar.
"They're basically saying, because they don't agree and because they choose not to respect our beliefs, that it can't be a sincerely held religious belief," he said.
Ivey describes the church as a non-theistic faith that draws people who see tattoos, piercings and other physical alterations as ways of experiencing the divine.
"We don't worship the god of body modification or anything like that," he said. "Our spirituality comes from what we choose to do ourselves. Through body modification, we can change how we feel about ourselves and how we feel about the world."
The church claims roughly 3,500 members nationwide, having started about two years ago, after adopting the name of a similar group that had been dormant for several years."
I think that when the rules were initially made up, they encompassed anything that could potentially be distracting at school-- clothes that are too short; beer/tobacco advertisements, etc. Have you ever tried to look away from someone wearing a ring through their eyebrow? It's hard NOT to look! While I think a stud in the nose is not too distracting, they probably didn't want to have make a judgement call every time someone came in with "face jewelry".
So now, an organization-- a "non theistic faith"-- is claiming exemption based on the fact that they started the church back two years ago.
Last edited by claytonmom; 09-16-2010 at 06:59 PM..
The story is now a featured article on Yahoo's landing page:
NC teen: Nose ring more than fashion, it's faith - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_rel_piercing_church - broken link)
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