Brickbat: God Bless You

Danny Hooks / Dreamstime.com

An anonymous group wanted to donate $50,000 for a new turf field at the high school in Indiana's Greenfield-Central Schools. But school board members balked at the group's one request: to use the hashtag #BlessTheWorld to acknowledge their gift. School board members were afraid of using the word "bless." "There was some apprehension about if that was a gray area. If that was a breach of the separation of church and state that is often quoted from the first amendment," said Superintendent Harold Olin. The group withdrew its donation.

Comments

[guitargeek]

Separation of church and state is in the first amendment? When did that change happen?

[Mickey Rat]

In the penumbras and emanations of the 1st Amendment.

"Those who can, do.
Those who cannot, teach.
Those who cannot teach, administrate."

[Crackers Boy]

Those who can't administrate, coach.

[Fist of Etiquette]

However, Tuesday afternoon, the anonymous donors sent a letter to the superintendent saying they no longer wished to make the donation after it caused controversy.

Hashtag me cynical, but I'm guessing there was never going to be a donation.

[Michael P]

Bless the school board's hearts.

[pan fried wylie]

Mind broadening, knowledge expanding, turf.

[Radioactive]

1st amendment is no state sponsored or approved religion, not no religion...that's why we need a Satanic Church of Virgin Sacrifice to balance the books

[Bob K]

3. Proverbs 21:26 ? "The righteous gives and does not hold back."

Unless thy hashtag be banned.

[creech]

Doesn't the Bible also command givers to remain anonymous and not parade their gifts before the public?

[ace_m82]

While that is true for the individual, I see no specific command against having it be corporate. In fact, the New Testament churches would give to the poor in other churches, and representatives of that church would go before the elders and hand it over to them, and it would be well known which church gave it.

1 Corinthians 16:1-3 and elsewhere.

[ace_m82]

To be fair, I'm sure that gift will go to someone who needs it a lot more. After all, aren't school sports so very poorly funded in this nation?

[Longtobefree]

Can't wait for the school board meeting where they ask for more tax money to maintain the field.

[frankania]

50,000 for some grass? Why not have the students and sports people plant some grass and water it etc. for almost free? It is a learning experience.

[IceTrey]

It's artificial turf and it's $800,000.

[Stormy Dragon]

This brickbat doesn't seem very brickbatty.

[BTS11]

Why donate then ask for something in return what kind of people do this and asking for something cuts into the donation

[pan fried wylie]

"Please accept this gift, for the low low price of....."