Did you attend school at Hancock Elementary? We did the same thing. During football season it was the Oilers song. During baseball season, we sang the ridiculous Astros song. "Here come the Astros, breathing orange firrrreee...."
what they MIGHT say is that it's not charity because it's imposed by the government on taxpayers... but if that were their problem, then they would be looking for ways to provide free or extremely low cost education and health care for those who need it outside of the public realm. during the 4th century there was a Roman emperor named Julian. he said: “It is a scandal that there is not a single Jew who is a beggar, and that the godless Galileans (Christians) care not only for their own poor but for ours as well.” So this concept that believers should be willing to do "for the least of these" what the state wasn't/isn't willing to do sometimes gets lost in all this. i believe God is redeeming the world. and i believe that He is calling us all closer to the things He cares about. to the extent that redemption involves governments seeking to care for the poor, i'm all about it.
If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back.
Did both have tubas, nasal vocals, and the pace of a glacier? It was Houston Oilers #1, a song we supposedly ripped off from the Miami Dolphins or something like that. And HOOP-T, nope, not Hancock. It was actually south of town by a good bit. Thanks for reminding me of that awful Astros song though. Hilarious. Gooooo GOOOOOO ASTROOOOS. Our school only did the football song.
Its about time somebody got it right. Now if we can only get the Pledge of Allegiance back in schools at least some of the damage from the communists will have been undone. In case you didn't realize, the United States of America was freed from England and founded by a bunch of Christian settlers. This is quite evident in the many religious references in our money, monuments and buildings. Christianity and faith in God almighty has helped carry this nation through all of its perilous times in its brief history. The "separation of church and state" mantra of ACLU and liberal communists in this country is a contrived myth. If you choose to not believe in God that is your choice. Nobody said the word God was solely a Christian term. All religions have a god of some sort.
Perhaps Christianity carried this country through certain tough situations, but is this supposed to be some sort of gift for that, or some shout-out of respect? Frustration with this isn't an attack on Christianity at all. The problem is, the very fact that you're saying God instills this "default mode" for a child that God exists, when public schools should not be taking part in instilling such "defaults" at all. Think about it, if you're a 2nd grader saying "God" in the pledge, then to you, naturally, there must be someone they're addressing. This gets embedded, in a school setting. The term "liberal communists" is probably off, since economic issues usually aren't being factored into this debate. But anyways, the idea of that separation, despite the fact that it does exist in our Constitution, is based on the fundamental idea that this country was where someone could feel safe and completely free to pursue whatever belief system (or lack of one) they wanted to. As a Christian, I could understand why you could say that it doesn't seem like a big deal to say God, or to mix the two. But it is frustrating to those who want their children to know their own beliefs (for example, Buddhism doesn't address a God, and Hinduism does not do it in such a manner), or not pursue that path at all, that they have to send their child to school and have 20 kids around them praying to God. This isn't an attack on Christianity by any means. Because really, is it that harmful if we just leave God out of our pledge? Does it hurt you that much? Not really. Your kids will come home, and you will take them to church, and there is no imposition at all on your belief system. But it is extremely problematic for others, which you may not see simply because of lack of exposure, but that frustration is there. It must be acknowledged.
Not bad, not bad, T_J. On a predictable course, becoming more conservative by the year. Very standard flight plan. Hope life, and Treasures, are treating you kindly.
You have to give it up to OddsOn. He has a finely tuned sense of the absurd. D&D. Impeach Bush and Cheney. Keep God(s) Out of our Public Schools and in the Worship Facility of Your Choice. (Or worship outdoors, if that's your thing. It turned on the Druids.)
You are completely correct IMO. However the bible best Christians (I am also a Christian) view them removing God from things as an attack on their faith, and they have issues with it because "that's how we always used to do it". I often hear the "your kid isn't forced to say God, or pray with us" excuse. It is hard to get them to see that the norm is quite unfair, and that the only true way to be fair is to remove that from forced public settings. They have trouble seeing that imposing that on others, especially little children, is a big deal.
Fortunately there a whole lot more people who think like me than like you. I edited your reply to safe on space but left the points I wanted to retort. Ok on the "seperation of Church and State" ~ Have you actually read the constition? The 1st amendment readss: Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. It says congress shall make no law, not that the people cannot vote for one locally. The idea was that the majority vote in communities in each state would be better suited handle this. It doesn't penalize you for having differing believes. And if you just can't deal with living in an area where people around you practice religion then you can move to another area or state. Back in the day it was Rhode Island. Its not an attack on Christianity that I am worried about. Its the push from the left to make this a secular society like Canada and Europe. Secularism destroys a nation not strengthen it. It turns you into a nanny state with little will to fight for what you believe. Its this very thing of having a belief structure wrapped around a moral, religious base, that has made the United States of America unique and allowed us to grow strong as a nation throughout our brief history.
Yeah, but how far are you willing to push your vision of moralism across the land? Plus, like others have mentioned, this mention of "God" doesn't help your goal, but rather divide people who didn't have a problem with Christianity or feel threatened by them before.
