In the recent atmosphere of civil liberties losses at the federal level, it is all too disheartening to see UTM students’ freedom of religion being challenged.

SAC recently paid $10,000 to bring the Christian praise band Sonicflood to play in the Student Life Center last night. Not that there is anything wrong with Christian music, if that is your kind of thing, but there is most certainly something wrong with this university (or any governmental agency for that matter) endorsing a clearly religious band that will be playing for no discernable secular or educational purpose.

Constitutional interpretation and Supreme Court precedent are very clear on this issue. Government is not to abridge, curtail or restrict religion in any way. By the same token, however, government can not endorse any religion nor can it impose any religion on any segment of the American people. This means that any type of religious group can play in a public venue without restriction. This also means that government cannot pay for it.

They can pay for a religious group to play if they are there for a secular or educational purpose.

Sonicflood clearly is not secular in any sense of the word, nor are they educational, in the sense implied by legal precedent.

Sonicflood brings no culture to Martin. Bringing a Christian praise band to a predominantly Christian region is not cultural or educational.

We realize that many people in the area (including students) were very happy to have the opportunity to see Sonicflood and we are glad that they are guaranteed the freedom to see whatever kind of band they want to see and worship any kind of way they want (or not at all). But we cannot be glad that SAC has spent students’ funds to endorse a particular religion. SAC should continue to bring bands which represent all religious backgrounds, which they have been doing a great job of. They should stop paying for the overtly religious ones, though.