But my point is that I may want to go there to study or whatever. Why not find some other place for the group to meet? When you have something as controversial and possibly diametrically opposed as the conflicting views of two religions, why take a chance on holding the meeting where there is the possibility of a clash? That is why churches and the like were built, as places of worship. I think that you just have to have laws that preclude certain activities - this is one. I would also hate to have Pat Robertson or Falwell show up each week and lead the prayer. The argument can be made that most Christians (that is who complains about all this anyway, I don't here Muslims complaining) are fine people. But there would always be that few that mess it up. Maybe because deciding which groups could use a public area is so arbitrary. A devout Christian might not allow a Muslim group to gather, or may make it difficult, while they go out of their way to help other Christians. The laws take away any chance of it being arbitrary - you simply don't do it, find somewhere else to do it.
-Gary > -----Original Message----- > From: Nick McClure [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 9:11 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Church and State > > > Gary, my argument has not been about prayer during school. > > It has been about groups using school facilities after school hours. I > don't think people should be kept from doing this because of > their religion. > > At 12:59 AM 1/29/2002 -0600, you wrote: > >What do you mean, "right to peaceably assemble"? Of course you have that > >right, it is not abridged in any way. But why should I have to leave a > >public place that I go to to learn because you want to hold a prayer > >service? Take that to the church. Why do you need to pray out loud in a > >school? Are you just so focused on the rhetoric that you "cannot > pray", as > >spouted by the sensationalist Right, that you miss that you can > pray - just > >not to where it makes me or others uncomfortable in a public > setting? Why is > >it so important that you pray in front of people who may not > agree with your > >religious beliefs? > > > >Example: You are at a school. I come in, sit behind you and > start muttering > >a prayer to some god, no idea which, which you do not worship. I > do this for > >a few minutes with several of my friends, the majority of the > class in fact. > >We do this everyday. Our religion teaches us that those who do > not believe > >in our god are doomed to hell and we are always right. Period. > We think you > >have a pagan religion, much different from hours and you just do > not fit in. > >Your religion seems backward to us. The media has painted it as > backward and > >the people as non-conformists. > > > >How would you feel? > > > >-Gary > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Nick McClure [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 12:33 PM > > > To: CF-Community > > > Subject: Re: Church and State > > > > > > > > > Your may be right. > > > > > > Strange, I dislike Christianity but I feel that all people > have the same > > > rights. One of those is the right to peaceably assemble. oh well. > > > > > > At 12:27 PM 1/28/2002 -0600, you wrote: > > > >Nick, > > > > > > > > You're wasting your breath man. It's not about prayer in the > > > >classroom or even about religion in schools. She even said > it herself, > > > >it is NOT about religion in school, it's about Christianity > in schools. > > > >The debate is based on a dislike of Christianity. The dislike of > > > >Christianity stems from a dislike of people like Robertson > and Falwell > > > >and the Christian fundamentalism that was fought in the 50's > and 60's. > > > >They see them and the Crusades and say that Christianity is bad and > > > >lumps all Christians with them. It's disingenuous and close > minded and > > > >not really worth the time. > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
