Perhaps the secularists (a religion?) are right. Perhaps it is time to remove all religion, religious symbols and religious references to our modern life so that people can confine their beliefs to their respective churches, temples, mosques, etc. Just think. No more religious holidays like Easter, Christmas, Hanukka, Ramadan, etc. We can work more hours instead. No more buying Christmas trees, cards, candles, greetings or presents. No more Easter candy or Easter egg hunts. No more Halloween since that is a form of religious celebration (Walpurgisnacht). The manufacturers and retailers will figure out how to cope. No more money with "In God We Trust." It will cost a little but we can replace all our coin and paper money. No more Declaration of Independence or any other governmental documenation and governmental logos with religious symbols of any kind (crosses, minoras, masonic symbols, mythological gods, etc. etc.) Knock down the Statue of Liberty and send it back to France. We can rewrite everything and replace all those public statues. Damn the cost, I say. No more prayer rugs in the workplace. The Muslims can go to their temples five times a day to pray. No one should be exposed by accident to any prayers. Of course, worshippers' pay would have to be docked for any missed time. Movies and television shows with references to religious holidays, including all those made in the past, will have to be banned to keep children and suggestable adults from religious influences. I could name lots of other religious influences that will need to be rooted out. But damn the costs, circumstances and consequences. Think how happy people will be not having to worry about committing PC crimes. Let people of faith keep it inside their respective worship places. Maybe then we might start understanding what we are losing.
And why don't you get the right definition of Separation of Church and State while you're at it. All it really means is that the government will not endorse a religion officially. If you look at the CIA Factbook or something, you'll see many nations with the category "Official Religion". We don't have that, due to the separation of church and state. It has nothing to do with removing all traces of religion. I'm personally in favor of the government taking more control over religion. Not in determining where and how people can worship, but mostly in having the ability to tax the churches' land.
Did you write that yourself, because it's pretty pathetic. Most of your rambling doesn't involve government at all.
Look at all the suits removing religious symbols and thought from public life -- including schools, government and social life. That is separation so I'm just agreeing with you guys. If religious references are going to be removed, don't just go halfway.
No, the national Christmas tree is now the holiday tree. That's a government function. Are we now celebrating nature worship on Dec. 25 -- or the birth of Jesus AkA the Christ? But why are you upset? Am I not advocating removal of all things religious?
Nobody's upset, in fact, it's quite amusing to watch you stick your foot in your mouth repeatedly and try to demagogue sarcastically about something that you obviously don't understand very well. So don't let us stop you. By all means continue.
The Establishment Clause would not prevent prayer in schools, would not prevent the recitation of the pledge of allegience. Non-Christian and atheist activists have tried to use the Establishment clause for far more than it was intended. There is no evidence that the founding fathers did not want nativity scenes on public land, etc, only that they didn't want the government forcing people into the national church, like the English did.
*yawn* thanks for that. now with that in mind tell me why the screed at the beginning of this thread is so very ridiculous
Since there is some confusion, can someone (Sam) post the portion of the Constitution that outlines the separation of church and state. Thanks. Please post the exact words, no paraphrasings, please.
It is part of the first amendment: that is the establishment clause. and that is the free exercise clause.
The original post didn't mention the establishment clause, or anything about the constitution (other than rewriting it without reference to God). thumbs was talking about the jackasses like that guy that sued to have under God removed from the pledge of allegience. I have personally heard people b**** and moan about everything in his post up to movies and television, with the exception of Muslim prayer rugs. It sounds like one of those chain emails to me, so I wouldn't get too worked up over it, but there are extremists on both sides who feel that all of the issues he mentioned are important.
"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus, building a wall of separation between Church and State" -- Thomas Jefferson, 1802 (coining the phrase) "I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises."--Thomas Jefferson, 1808 "All persons shall have full and free liberty of religious opinion; nor shall any be compelled to frequent or maintain any religious institution."--Thomas Jefferson, 1776 "I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish Church, by the Roman Church, by the Greek Church, by the Turkish Church, by the Protestant Church, not by any Church that I know of. My own mind is my own Church."--Thomas Paine "The Civil Government, though bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability and performs its functions with complete success, whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the priesthood, and the devotion of the people have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the state."--James Madison
thumbs, after the miracle Tracy McGrady wrought last night during the final 35 seconds of the game, against the best team in the League, maybe we need to rethink this whole religious thing! Hey, some of you need to appreciate some satire, mixed with a tad of sarcasm. thumbs is making a point, and doesn't deserve to be beat over the head with distain... answer in kind! Keep D&D Civil!! And T-Mac for Pope or something... whenever there's a vacancy!
Kudos for being able to discern having a little fun by pushing the envelope as we Americans tend to do. Actually, I left out the part about allowing government workers to have a day off to celebrate a religious holiday.
