Bloomberg Defends Decision Prohibiting Religious Groups From Worshiping In Schools

As the final day of worshiping in public schools came and went on Sunday, Mayor Bloomberg defended the city's ban on worship services in public schools citing the decision as one of the "basics of this country."

Bloomberg referenced Constitutional law and told reporters at a press conference on Monday:

I've always thought that one of the great things about America is that we keep a separation between church and state and the more clear that separation is, the more those people who want to be able to practice their religion will have the opportunity to do so.

He went on to say, "For those that want to get rid of those separations, let me just point out: Someday the religion that's practiced there may not be your religion and you might in that sense look back and say let's keep the two separate."

Back in December, the 48-member Bronx Household of Faith led by Pastor Robert Hall lost a 17-year series of lawsuits against the city when the Supreme Court ruled to reject the church's plea to overturn the ban.

Public officials praised the court for recognizing the need for separation. A senior counsel for the city, Jane Gordon, said she viewed the result as a major victory and that "the department was quite properly concerned about having any school in this diverse city identified with one particular religious belief or practice."

However, as expected, the decision was met with widespread criticism from religious officials, including Hall who said, "We're very disappointed. We think this is a dangerous precedent that allows the state to make a distinction between various types of religious activity."

In 1994, Hall applied on behalf of the small church to utilize a public school as a place of worship, which ignited the long legal battle.

Comments

[ennui the third]

08:53 AM on 02/15/2012

I don't like Bloomberg, but he is right on this....you want religion?...fine....but keep it to yourself and not shoved down other's throats.

[Eric6014]

02:08 AM on 02/15/2012

wow... This may be the single most ignorant comment I've ever read on this site.. So, 9/11 happened because we are all a bunch of godless sinners? Who exactly is going to wipe us off of the face of the earth if we're not "careful"?

[Peter007]

11:15 AM on 02/14/2012

This is tricky.
I assume that the church pays for the space they rent.
The schools policy is that it allows community groups access to the facilities..
Bloomberg's policy appears to be one of not allowing a group to have access to an empty facility if that group has a religious theme.

What does Religious theme mean?
The constitution forbids the government from doing anything to either promote one religion or act in a way that would harm a religion.

I don't see how renting space to a group that is religious can be construed as promoting a religion.

[zg1968]

02:59 PM on 02/14/2012

until there are several different religions who want to use the same space at the same time - and the city picks the one they like best....it's just a bad situation waiting to happen.

And if you are a "church" with less than 50 members who can't afford to get permanent space for 10+ years, maybe you aren't a church at all....

There are plenty of spaces to rent that are not owned by the city.

[iamaconservative]

10:23 AM on 02/14/2012

Separation of Church and State: Keeping religious doctrine separate from common law and not ban religion from any public forum as the heretics have pushed for.

[stang1985]

09:19 AM on 02/14/2012

Public schools...public money. It's simple - keep YOUR religion in YOUR house or in YOUR church but not in MY public (paid with my tax money) school or in MY government.

[dmgoss]

10:37 AM on 02/14/2012

Word.

[bhalle1]

09:12 AM on 02/14/2012

YEA!!!!!! Our solid republican mayor is doing the best republican thing he can.....upholding the constitution!!!! NOW get all the other crappy republicans to get back to the roots of republican politics and I will vote for you with my INDEPENDENT VOTE. Ha Ha ha we have a winner folks and he is rich and fair and has a clue!!! Thank you mayor Mike. You rock.

[jackdaniel58]

07:41 AM on 02/14/2012

I didn't realize buying a third term is in the constitution- are you still here?

[robhllnd2]

06:50 AM on 02/14/2012

Pitch a tent in Central Park.

[Rich914]

11:59 PM on 02/13/2012

Bloomberg has an ax to grind against religion in general and Christian religions specifically. There is no separation of church and state issue here at all. Use of rooms and building facilities by community church congregations does not confuse, much less threaten separation of church and state.

[Girl Unafraid]

11:33 PM on 02/13/2012

If there was ever a time to separate church and state, it's now. As a resident of NYC, I'm proud Bloomberg had the cajones to do it.

[Op2mystic1]

07:54 AM on 02/14/2012

I'm also a NYS resident and agree with you 100%.

[Dilberth]

10:59 PM on 02/13/2012

Well now. I'm for getting rid of this cancer called religion. It is a giant fraud and any method to rid society of this monstrous lie is fine with me. I'd also like to see our members of Congress being held responsible for ascribing and embracing this fraud. They are aiding and abetting this swindling scam.

[Matt12]

09:19 PM on 02/13/2012

The Mayor For Life is fullfilling his mandate to crash anything religious, except his own. Under his watch all Catholic Hospitals closed. Now, this..... go figure.....

[zg1968]

03:02 PM on 02/14/2012

Catholic Hospitals can't be profitable without free slave labor from religious people. Since there aren't any religious people left, they have to actually hire people and pay them a living wage.....

Catholic hospitals are catholic in name only.

The mayor knows what it's like to be discriminated against because of religion. Funny how so many Catholics have forgotten that it wasn't so long ago that they were at the bottom of the pile.....

[holyghostie]

09:04 PM on 02/13/2012

Its a wrongheaded decision that misinterprets Church and State.

[leyvadaniel]

08:22 PM on 02/13/2012

I agree with one thing, separation of religion and state is one of the things that differentiate us form Iran. I wish he would also leave the teachers alone.

[Trilby]

07:53 PM on 02/13/2012

My thoughts about this have changed since I first heard about it. I am 100% atheist and anti religion, but I don't see why these groups can't continue to rent the space during non-school hours just like any other group. Am I missing something?

[dpkjj]

09:09 PM on 02/13/2012

That is exactly how I feel. The school is just renting space. That does not imply endorsement of the group that rents the space. Lawd knows the schools have a lot of empty space that can and should be put to use, which serves the community and brings some badly needed money into the schools.

I am a staunch advocate of separation of church and state, but I don't get this decision at all.

Maybe someone can tell us - what are we missing?

[navalvet]

09:29 PM on 02/13/2012

Should the school be used for other activities, especially activities related to the school, there is the possibility of children and adults thinking that the religious activity was state sanctioned and enjoyed a preferred status. Bulletin boards with church posters and tracts may leave just such an impression.
If the church were confined to an auditorium or a single room, and told to clean up, afterwards, it might pass muster but how would a city regulate a church?

[Trilby]

10:03 PM on 02/13/2012

OK. That makes sense. Thank you. But it doesn't seem that difficult to impose as a rule "nothing left behind." Wouldn't they comply? Has that been the problem?

Not arguing with you-- I agree that it would be a problem if the services to seem to the school children to be state-sanctioned activity. I just think this is a problem that could be solved easily.