You really don't get it? This guy is spouting religion in his official capacity as a principal of a public HS (if it is public - that's why I asked).

I think that's a stretch, personally. It's a private email and he's not representing the state. Even if it is an "official" correspondence, "God bless you" is hardly spouting religion, IMHO.

sending god bless you to one person isn't a big deal. if he did it say, in a school wide email then yeah there would be a problem there. If it is a public school. hopefully the school has stopped whining because they have looked like really sore losers.

Of course.

My guess (at least I hope), is that Mark is not necessarily saying <B>he</B> is upset with the use of the term "God" in that context, but rather that <B>someone</B> will be.

I agree with scrappy. There's nothing in "God Bless You" that "establishes" any religion over another. It's extremely generic; not isolated to any particular faith or denomination. I think you'd be hard pressed to find even an atheist who's offended by it unless they were trolling for a lawsuit.

See below.

Exactly. I'm the biggest church/state separationist you'll meet and that didn't even register on my radar. He's not broadcasting it school-wide, he's not saying anything in the presence of students. I see nothing wrong with it.

Had to ask, I've seen it called miles away.

Gee, the kids pay for lunch with "in God we trust" money. I don't think a God bless you is cause for a demonstration.

Wasn't the country built on a Christian understanding?

I fear this is opening up another huge can of worms....but....

No, it was built on religious freedom, whether that means being religious in some way or being free from religion altogether.

I won't say another word. ;)

Something tells me when Principal Cox's team lost He said "God %$#@*^"

You would do well to read more of the writings of the founding fathers; it very much was a Christian ideal at the base of our founding.
Personally, I'm all for enforcing the anti-establishment clause, but I think it's gone a bit far when we would even discuss the use of "God Bless You" in an email signature.

It's not as if he used, "In Jesus' Name." He used a statement 95% of Americans use when someone nearby sneezes.

no....... there were framers and many others at the time who wanted religion out which is why we have the establishment clause. but just like then and today there were Christians and those who weren't so some Christian influence but no way should Christianity be considered some sort of founding base for our country.


I wonder if he had wrote that to a single student. School wide yes, but one student...mmm. I think I would still take issue with that but not as big of deal as going on the intercom or something like that. Email outside the school it is fine because most would see it as a generic term.
anyhoo enough about that even though religion, the law and schools are fun to talk about. lots of interesting cases