ChristiansUnite Forums

Oregon youngster allowed to sing Christian song at talent show

A third-grader at a Portland elementary school has been allowed to sing a Christian song at a talent show, after administrators initially refused her request. School officials changed their tune after being told by a Christian legal group they were stepping on the young student's constitutional rights.



The conflict began when Kelli Bobst wanted to perform "God's Love Is for You" at the Mount Scott Elementary School talent show on April 19. However, school administrators told her she could not sing the song unless other religions were represented. Other students reportedly were also told they could not sing Christian-themed songs.

After confirming the school's stance on the matter, Kelli's mother contacted Liberty Counsel in Orlando, Florida, which then sent a letter to school officials, advising them of the constitutional principles governing student religious expression in public schools. Mount Scott's principal contacted Karen Bobst after receiving the letter, telling her that her daughter -- as well as other students who wished to do so -- could sing Christian songs at the talent show.

"I think it's clear that students do not shed their constitutional rights when they go to school," offers Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel. "And Christian viewpoints are thoroughly protected by the First Amendment. Unfortunately, sometimes, what we see is people -- either for hostile reasons or out of mere ignorance -- try[ing] to censor Christian viewpoints when, in fact, the Constitution protects those viewpoints as well."

Staver, whose group is called on regularly to confront suppression of the Christian viewpoint in the public school sector, says the concept of students' free-speech rights is not difficult to understand.

"Pretty much it's commonsense and also constitutional to have equal access, equal opportunity to express Christian viewpoints," says the Christian attorney. "That's the simple message of the First Amendment, and that's something that comports with our commonsense history."

Staver says America's Founding Fathers never intended for Christian viewpoints to be censored from the public square.