The Blaze is reporting that Roy Costner IV, of Liberty High School in Liberty, South Carolina, shocked administrators at the school when he decided to deviate from his previously approved valedictorian speech by tearing it up and speaking about God instead, including a recitation of the Lord's Prayer.
“Those that we look up to, they have helped carve and mold us into the young adults that we are today. I’m so glad that both of my parents led me to the Lord at a young age,” Costner told his stunned audience. “And I think most of you will understand when I say . . . Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name . . ."
The student body erupted into cheers and applause as he prayed.
The action was done in opposition to a decision by the School District of Pickens County to prohibit prayers from graduation events after school officials received complaints from atheist and church-state activist.
Costner later told The Blaze that he planned to depart from his approved "script" because he felt it would encourage the community, which was very upset about the school district's decision.
“God’s such a big, important part of our life with everything going on, our community really needed it,” he said. “Our community is really strongly opposed to the school district’s decision to remove prayer.”
Removing God and prayer from public schools can only have negative consequences, he said.
“Originally, they were only supposed to take away prayer in the school district before meetings — [but then] they blew it way out of proportion, taking prayers out of anything,” he said.
Costner's family was aware of his plans and his father, a youth pastor, was worried that the school would retaliate by denying his son's diploma.
However, the school did not punish Costner in any way for what he did at the commencement.
Costner has no regrets, but admits that he was overwhelmed by the reaction he received from the student body. “I was tearing up on stage. I was overwhelmed on the stage. I did not expect a response of that magnitude.”
Before deciding to go ahead with his plans, the humble young man said he spent a great deal of time praying and reflecting on whether or not he was doing this for the right reason. Was it for himself, or for God?
But, “after studying the word, I felt led to have the prayer at our ceremonies,” he decided.
While he has received some negative feedback, the majority has been overwhelmingly positive.
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