英闻天下——319 School Sued over Portrait of Jesus

 　　Ohio's Jackson City school district is fighting a lawsuit¹ demanding the removal of a portrait of Jesus that has hung in a middle school hallway for 66 years.

 

　　The American Civil Liberties Union and its partners contend the portrait is government endorsement² of Christianity.

 

　　School officials say the portrait belongs to the Hi-Y student group and is therefore constitutionally protected "private speech."

 

　　After the suit was filed the school board adopted a new policy allowing a "limited public forum⁴" for student groups to own and display portraits of "inspirational figures."

 

　　Freedom from Religion Foundation co-president Dan Barker says:

 

　　"It boggles the mind that in 2013, a public school superintendent⁵ and school board would not understand that a devotional painting of Jesus, called 'The Head of Christ,' - identical to millions hanging in churches and Sunday school classrooms around the country - may not be posted at the entrance of a middle school,"

 

　　Balls and Strikes on the Columbus Dispatch:

 

　　I am "Christian³ Folk." I don't care what picture you hang up in the hallway. There isn't anyone telling me I have to believe in it. The problem here is the liberal ideology⁶ that if one person doesn't like it then no one else should like it or accept it either. How about they just let it go like they have for the past 66 years and deal with some real issues? Whether you believe in Jesus or not, anyone who finds this offensive needs to get over it and move on. It's not a personal attack on anyone or anyone's beliefs.

 

　　Randy Rasmussen on NPR.org:

 

　　Putting up a picture is NOT an endorsement. Beyond that even an endorsement would NOT be the State pushing a specific religion. Forcing you to pray WOULD be.

 

　　Superintendent Phil Howard said after the school board meeting:

 

　　"We're in a predicament where we have to balance things. We can't make that kind of endorsement (of religion) as a government entity⁷. But we also can't infringe⁸ upon the rights of our student groups and our students."

 

　　Elsinor says on Huffington Post:

 

　　"The board said the portrait is part of a "limited public forum," and that the Jackson schools will allow other student clubs to hang portraits appropriate to their organizations."

 

　　In other words, they are changing the rules after the fact to try to obfuscate⁹ their actual motive¹⁰. This sort of civic¹¹ dishonesty, and make no mistake that's what this is, should have no place in a school setting.

 

　　TheFriendlyAtheist says on Huffington Post:

 

　　The Hi-Y club has no more right than the school to display religious material on public property. This move will get the board no where. The display is a clear violation¹² of the constitutional separation of church and state and should be removed immediately. but true to Christian hubris¹³, the board will fight tooth and nail and waste much time and money before doing what is right.

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

5 superintendent   

n.监督人，主管，总监；(英国)警务长

参考例句：

• He was soon promoted to the post of superintendent of Foreign Trade.他很快就被擢升为对外贸易总监。
• He decided to call the superintendent of the building.他决定给楼房管理员打电话。

6 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

7 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

8 infringe   

v.违反，触犯，侵害

参考例句：

• The jury ruled that he had infringed no rules.陪审团裁决他没有违反任何规定。
• He occasionally infringe the law by parking near a junction.他因偶尔将车停放在交叉口附近而违反规定。

9 obfuscate   

v.使困惑，使迷乱

参考例句：

• He delighted in his ability to obfuscate.他对自己有本事把别人搞得晕头转向感到得意。
• This message might appear if you obfuscate the solution code.如果您对解决方案代码进行模糊处理，可能显示此消息。

10 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

11 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

12 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

13 hubris   

n.傲慢，骄傲

参考例句：

• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。
• The very hubris of French claims alarmed the other powers.法国贪婪的胃口使其他大国惊恐不安。