God is Dead ... but Yearbook Censorship Is Alive and Well

Rawr Teen RAGE!!!!

Censorship by definition. Whether it's warranted or not is a different question. It's sad that a well known literary reference like this is either unrecognized or discriminated against though. Had his shirt had a huge cross or a fish symbol he wouldn't be experiencing this problem. Moreover, his shirt is a statement about his rights, not about the existence of a deity. It's thought provoking. It seems that any time a free thinking teenager has the audacity to speak their mind, they're quickly crushed by people in the system who have long since given up the habit of thinking for themselves.

I think the most important question is: is this the result of a fairly and consistently applied policy. A school I attended had a rule banning both text and logos on clothing for grades 8 and lower. I didn't like the policy but appreciated that it wasn't discriminating against any particular message or group and was by and large evenhandedly enforced. That of course didn't stop me from insisting that this rule meant that people should not be allowed to wear clothing with the school name on it since it was both text and a logo.

A fair question, Spinningmind.

I'm an Atheist, but nothing turns me off like a victim complex. I mean, he wears the shirt to provoke debate, which is fine, and he should consider himself lucky he didn't go to my school. But how about the provocation a still photo five years from now will have? All it does is stir up animosity with no hope of resolution, because you're not there to have the conversation that you hoped to start.

Sounds a little too close to the "Your first amendment rights end where mine begin" kind of mentality to me.

At least your fellow yearbook team didn't raid your folder and rob you of your pages. >=(

The school can censor anything they want, all the entities funded by the school falls within their jurisdiction.

But if say I started my own yearbook, and I sold it outside of school boundaries, then I can say anything I want without the schools approval.

Obviously it's censorship by definition. And what if his shirt said Jews are evil? Everyone in the school is practically forced to buy a yearbook and if they are forced to pay for something they feel is quite offensive, then they have a right to complain and the yearbook staff has a right to ask the school debate club to line up for another photo. I don't like the decision, but the school has authority over the production of the yearbook.

If they have done it to OTHER Tshirts, then it's fine. But if not, then it is censorship because of that particular t-shirt and the fact it might stir up some Christian folks. I know the HS that I used to teach at had a policy about no advertising nor "political statements" on t-shirts...it got to the point that the students could hardly wear anything on their shirts at all...

I'm really sorry to hear that God is indeed dead. How regrettable it is that He couldn't have taken just a minute or two to teach this little dripwad a thing or two about good taste. Oh well, I'm sure that his parents will instill in him those values at home.... or maybe not. I'm gonna have to run now and buy a sympathy card for Gods wife and a tube of acne cream for that mental midget. Oi vey!

God is Dead - by Nietzche referred to people in general being as religious as 200 years ago or as 2000 years ago. Nobody can argue that this is the case since religion has become lesser and lesser as a value proposition for newer generations. Nietzche put this development into 3 words - which is a true observation. Having this printed on a shirt - censors should be educated enough to see the true meaning which is not an insult or provocation but a true observation on transformation of religious values.

The yearbook is not banning all religious symbols and slogans on clothing,just ones that appear at first glance to be atheist.

This would seem to be discrimination of ones religious beliefs.

Fuck God
Fuck Jesus
Fuck the Bible
Censor that!

I must echo SyntheticAir's statement - Religious symbols, clothing and messages weren't banned from the yearbook. Either we have one standard that says there is no room for religious/anti-religious statements in the year or .. well, we have a double standard, don't we?

For those who say the the "God is dead" statement is offensive, I say "what???". Spend one day as an Atheist, surrounded by the obscenity that is religious on every corner .. then come and tell me how troublesome one t-shirt is. I'll wait ..

His shirt should say "dig me- I want to be the center of attention"

Another teenager crying out for attention. End of story.

As an Atheist, this phrase "God is Dead" on a t-shirt, is SILLY, it is just as silly to me as religous beliefs themselves.

For God (any god) to be dead, god must therefore have existed at some point to have died.

As an atheist, the preponderance of evidence (or more, the preponderance of lack of evidence) is an ample justification for not having a belief in there EVER having existed a god.

I dare him to say Allah is dead.
Debate? I don't think so!
He is just trolling for trouble.
I suggest the yearbook has a tear out page.
If God is dead I know what killed Him.
WWMTD- What would Mother Theresa do?

So, I heard a bag of rice fell over in China.

Looks like some young Atheist who wants some attention. I didn't read all the comments but I agree with Cola. Besides in the law type on a t-shirt isn't considered a statement made. They aren't violating his rights they are using their right to impose a dress code. And they are doing this because of a little douche bag who probably wants some attention cause he doesn't fit in so has resulted to standing way out. He wants to provoke a debate but who wants to talk to a little asshole that goes around advertising his beliefs on a t-shirt like people are supposed to care. That's the most pretentious thing you could do, actually assuming people give a damn about what you believe. And you know I think it actually provokes an argument not a debate. I believe its bad taste and yes I know that's a subjective statement but he's only giving people who believe in God a reason to be angry and no room for an actual conversation so who is he trying to debate with? other Atheists? That's not a debate that's a "yeah you're right dude" conversation. This kid needs to be slapped and told to grow up. And that goes for any adults out here trying to have a debate by wearing a t-shirt. Making a statement with your shirt is fine but when you're wearing it in a picture you're just making a statement not provoking a debate and when the statement you are making offends people they're going to tell you to fuck off cause they don't wanna hear that shit. Which is what the school did basically 'No kid you have to retake the picture in a different shirt if you want to be in the year book.'

This move is made of win. He succeeded in debate. Sadly, this is a public institution and as such should allow such shirts. When I was a kid, students wore WWJD bracelets, cross necklaces, hijabs, ashes on their foreheads for ash wednesday,etc...all in pictures for school events. If those are acceptable, so should his tee (especially because the "offensive" part of it is actually a misrepresentation of the original full quote).

Follow up thought: If school dress code censorship is based on the offending item's ability to provoke disruption, would those of you in favor of this also be in favor of banning religious items that responded in similar situations? If this kid chose to pick a very loud and nasty argument with a kid wearing his bible camp shirt to school, should the christian kid be forced to have his picture retaken?

Geez, whatever happened to wearing appropriate attire for yearbook pix and such? Are there no parents out there looking at what their children are wearing to go to school?

It's not censorship. Just good judgment. That type of t-shirt, with incredibly large letters on it, isn't really appropriate to a yearbook. It would make the school look as if it were tacitly agreeing with what the shirt says, that's all.

How hard is that to get? The boy is no victim. If he'd had a little common sense to begin with, no one would have ever bothered him and his dumb t-shirt.

For heaven's sake. Schools are a place of learning, not of letting you do whatever you want blah blah blah.

We'll ignore the kid's need to wear an overtly controversial shirt to "provoke debate" (ie, he is wearing it for the attention and he probably has no idea what it actually means in the context of philosophy). He has a right to free speech, but it is not equal to the right of the school to determine what is or is not appropriate for the yearbook and what hundreds of others kids and their families have to look at in the yearbook. I hope the schools sticks to its guns - I have met people like this in college where nobody has ever stuck to their regulations in the face of a whiny teenager, and they aren't "controversial" or "thought-provoking" -they're obnoxious and don't realize that the rules of the adult world are rarely debatable.

Censorship.

He should have picked up a copy of the shirt in German for the 2nd photo. They probably wouldn't have noticed or cared.

I assume the photo was representing the Debate Club. How do the club members feel? Is that the opinion of the whole group.---------NOT LIKELY!

Ditto the comments saying that he's just a little attention whore.

neatorama is slowly turning into a website pushing an agenda. it is inevitable

Is this censorship? Yeah. Is it warranted? Debatable. Does he wear this shirt to promote debate in the form of healthy discussion? BUUUUULLLLSHIT.

This kid isn't looking for a debate, he's looking for an argument. He's a real life troll. He's doing it for the cheap thrill. Even if he doesn't admit it. Even if he doesn't believe it. You want a discussion? Write a thesis. Or an article. Or a t-shirt that says "I BELIEVE GOD IS DEAD".

Bottom line, the kid's an attention whore and he knows what buttons to press to create a win-win situation.

@maiga

Everybody has an agenda, but it only matters if you agree with it or not. The kid is learning a valuable lesson that nobody really gives a damn about him.

"This kid isn't looking for a debate, he's looking for an argument."

Unfounded, unless you know this kid personally.

I happen to believe that there never was a god to die in the first place, but I wouldn't go round offending other people by wearing it writ large on a tee-shirt - that's just rude.

Nobody's censoring the kid's right to weart a t-shirt. But, since when is appearing in a yearbook candid photo a right? When I was in high school these photos were chosen and/or cut for a number of reasons? What's the big deal?

:-)

they're morons to objecting in the first place

and they're morons for not just photoshopping the original picture, i mean dang, it's 20-10.

and when are computers going to start recognizing "photoshop" as a verb? come o, it's 20-10.

@Epona - "If this kid chose to pick a very loud and nasty argument with a kid wearing his bible camp shirt to school, should the christian kid be forced to have his picture retaken?"

Well, if the bible camp t-shirt said something like "Atheists are Going To Hell" then maybe so. But wearing a t-shirt that said "Valley Bible Camp" is no more trolling than wearing a t-shirt that says "American Humanist Association".

My favorite atheist t-shirt reads: "Blasphemy Is A Victimless Crime" - although it's just as bratty as "God is Dead" at least it's witty. And unlike "God is Dead" the wearer probably isn't advertising an embarrassing misunderstanding of the phrase.

This school is intellectually dead, and we're all forced to pay for the non-education, thanks to corrupt politicians who force us to pay taxes :-(

through the years i have seen plenty of stories about religious types being told they could not wear a certain shirt. has this site highlighted those stories in regards to censorship?

I think they have to set standards to be fair to all. So if they do not allow other similar type shirts of differing thought it is fair.

What about this story?

http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20040604-9999-1mi4powskul.html

or this one?

http://www.tressugar.com/Student-Suspended-Anti-Obama-T-shirt-Free-Speech-2071811

it's just a self righteous teenager, he can get over it.

Only in America.

Kind of funny that church and state are supposedly seperate in the US, but here's yet another example of the church controlling a public body.

Neitzche was not referring to an actual "god" being dead, you morons. He was aware, as any reasonably intelligent life-form is, that such a thing as a god has never and will never exist, and that the concept is obviously man-made. He was saying that the IDEA of god was dead; mainly, that religion was dying as a force worthy of our consideration. Which it is--it's just taking a long time, unfortunately.

What Spinningmind said. Our school had a similar policy.

It is a yearbook picture. How do you want people to remember you five or ten years from now? Being in the debate club - yeah people are gonna look at that pic at the ten year reunion and have a good laugh.

"Lookit me. I'm an edgy teen. I had a real tough time deciding if I should wear my Che shirt or this one."

@Max Power

It didn't spill over too much did it? It's a pitty to hear about spilled rice.

In a lot of schools, clubs and organizations like Debate, aren't funded with school funds, but rather depend on raising their own money independently through fundraisers and through the generosity of sponsors and donors. I could see that if the debate club picture has shirts in it that are that are clearly controversial, it could be off-putting to some potential sponsors and donors. Not everyone who might be in a position to help the debate team would want to be associated with either the anti-religious or the purposefully inflammatory. So if they let the kid wear the shirt, they're allowing his free speech to jeapordize the program's funding. The program and the other kids in it shouldn't have to suffer because one kid can't judge what clothes are appropriate for what situations.

I'm all for the kid feeling free to wear the shirt to class on a day to day basis if it's within school policy to wear shirts with text on them. However, if the kid isn't mature enough to realize or care if he risks dollars for the program by wearing it in the picture, the school or the debate coach is in the right to make sure that he isn't photographed in it. That one kid's self-expression in one photograph shouldn't be allowed to negatively impact the whole team or whole school.

I wonder how many of the people commenting here stating that this is nothing more than a teen going for a bit of attention actually read the article fully or glanced at it. Things of interest:

1) Kid is the debate club president.
2) This quote: “Given that photos of students in clothing with Christian messages are allowed in yearbook, one has to wonder if they are taking too much power into their hands with the whole discretion thing.”
3) He's a pretty darned good student as well - "Surber has a cumulative grade point average of 3.85 and works 30 hours a week at local fast-food restaurant. His goal is to graduate from law school and enter the political arena."

I may not necessarily agree with his views but I applaud him for standing up for his views.

Also if my daughter were to do something like this I would stand behind her 100% as long as she can explain her opinion to me in an intelligent and thought provoking way.

@Annata: Thank you! I was waiting for *someone* to get it right. Only, I would have rephrased "He was aware, as any reasonably intelligent life-form is, that such a thing as a god has never and will never exist, and that the concept is obviously man-made." a bit less smarter-than-thou. Not out of undue respect for religious beliefs, but as a way to keep discourse civil.

The 'morons' thing was right on, though. When you quote a famous philosopher, don't assume well-known phrases mean what they seem to mean at first glance.

Its the double standard society that we have created that is the biggest ugliest monster out there.

If it is NOT ok for Joe to do something, but Bob can ( because he is not Joe) then it should not be allowed for Bob either.

If Joe is white and cannot have a TV channel exclusively for white people, why can Bob do it because he is black?
IF Joe is atheist and cannot put on a T-shirt sparking debate on the topic, why can Bob do it because he is a Christian?
IF Joe is a random person and has to do community service for drunk driving, why doesn't Bob, just because he's a celebrity?

I wonder if we'll ever be able to hold our heads up and say things are fair. I imagine the world has better odds of ending before that ever happens.

I am glad to see that Holden Caulfield is alive and well.
Jimssss thank you for the links. They have added an interesting perspective to this debate.

The article mentions that some of the other debate club members did not want to be in a photo with him wearing the shirt. I agree with the photoshop idea. He could "magically" be wearing a plain black shirt.
Back when I was in high school, we were not allowed to wear logos of any kind (to avoid fighting).

he is just a good little liberal doing as he was brainwashed into doing.

Heh, I can relate: 35 years ago my quote was censored from my senior picture in the high school yearbook. "Thou art Peter and from this garden thou shalt pick pecks of pickled peppers." I had to change to "You can drink borscht with a cross bear and carry home salt, but you will limp." Civilization would have collapsed if the first quote had been published, so you're all lucky.