All true. You really have to watch those religious fundamentalists like a hawk. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say they represent, as a group, the single greatest threat to our way of lives here in this country...and that includes terrorists and Islamo fascists and any other kind of group we're told to fear.
On Tue, Aug 5, 2008 at 1:37 PM, Larry Lyons <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> From what I can see it has been. > >> > >> You're speaking from the viewpoint of someone who agrees with the > majority. > >> Look at it this way, you're a Muslim student and you walk by that > assembly > >> with students, teachers, and administration in a worship service. > > > >What's the impression here- that its an officially sanctioned event. And > >> that in and of itself goes directly against the constitution. > > > > > >I see your point, but what about the rights of the teachers? To turn this > >back around on you, what about a Muslim teacher who, on her break, wishes > to > >join a group of Muslim students who have voluntarily formed a prayer > circle > >during recess? > > > >Should she not be allowed to? Doesn't our constitution say that she is > >guaranteed the right to attend that prayer service? > > IANAL. but that said, consider the situation I outlined, a minority being > forced to deal with the majority's dictates. I think it was Jefferson who > noted that the constitution was intended to protect from the tyranny of the > majority. > > All too often the prayer circle argument is used as a means of getting > around constitutional prohibitions on state sponsored religion. > > > > > > > > > >> Same with bible readings over the school PA or just before school > sporting > >> events. > > > > > >No, see, I do NOT see that as a the same thing. Prayers should NOT be read > >over the PA or before events who's purpose for gathering is OTHER than a > >religious ceremony. > > Like the prayer circles they have been termed student initiated. According > to the rules set up by some groups using very cleverly worded > interpretations of court decisions, bible readings over school PA systems > are being done by students. > > > > >If I go to a school football game, I should not have to participate in a > >prayer over the PA. BUT, if i attend a meeting of the Hindu club, where > >they've spelled out that their group intends to practice aspects of the > >Hindu faith, then by all means, I should expect a prayer. > > That's a student initiated thing in a small private voluntary groop. The > pre football prayers are not voluntary. > > > > >The strong implication here is that these are government sponsored events. > >> Ergo that student's rights are being violated. > > > > > >I think a distinction has to be drawn, don't you? What constitutes a > >"government sponsored event"? The students have the right to expect that > >their school will not impose any belief system upon them, but they also > have > >the right to expect that their own personal belief systems...will be > >respected. > > > >We have to allow for both, if we truly wish to have both freedom of > >religion, and be free FROM religion....as a state. > > That's the critical factor, freedom from religion. Many do not want that. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;203748912;27390454;j Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:265363 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
