Originally posted by: Mavimao
Now you're generalizing, which I understand is easy to do, but you should avoid this as much as possible. It only hurts your argument. But let me say that not all Athiests respond in caps wanting the demise of religious establisments. This is what really concerns them:
The Declaration of Independence says that first, "All Men are Created Equal" and the 1st amendment states: "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."
With that in mind, athiests find it unconstitutional that their money, made from the government, should have the phrase, "In God We Trust" and that they send their kids to schools, they paid with their own tax dollars, which make them swear an allegience to a body of government under a diety they don't believe exists. Imagine if we decide to replace the word "God" with "Allah" or "Jupiter"? After all, it's a question of semantics right? At least that seems to be the argument of more moderate conservatives and conservative democrats who argue that using "god" is not in reference to the Christian God, but to the idea of god that many cultures share.
But athiests don't believe in a diety at all! They believe they have the right to live in a country where one's religion is practiced at home/church/temples,etc.
As we all know there are a lot of gray areas when it comes to religion and politics in America, and people don't give up traditions easily. After all, our most famous holidays are based on Christian events: Christmas and Easter. So are we supposed to get rid of this? No.
Religion won't be razed in our government offices anytime soon, but its a philospohical question that deserves some thought on the issue.
Originally posted by: Darth Chaltab
But it shouldn't have to be that way.
Guy: I believe in God.
Athiest: WELL YOU'RE EVIL AND SELFISH AND GOING TO HELL FOR IT!
Utterly ridiculous.
But it shouldn't have to be that way.
Guy: I believe in God.
Athiest: WELL YOU'RE EVIL AND SELFISH AND GOING TO HELL FOR IT!
Utterly ridiculous.
Now you're generalizing, which I understand is easy to do, but you should avoid this as much as possible. It only hurts your argument. But let me say that not all Athiests respond in caps wanting the demise of religious establisments. This is what really concerns them:
The Declaration of Independence says that first, "All Men are Created Equal" and the 1st amendment states: "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."
With that in mind, athiests find it unconstitutional that their money, made from the government, should have the phrase, "In God We Trust" and that they send their kids to schools, they paid with their own tax dollars, which make them swear an allegience to a body of government under a diety they don't believe exists. Imagine if we decide to replace the word "God" with "Allah" or "Jupiter"? After all, it's a question of semantics right? At least that seems to be the argument of more moderate conservatives and conservative democrats who argue that using "god" is not in reference to the Christian God, but to the idea of god that many cultures share.
But athiests don't believe in a diety at all! They believe they have the right to live in a country where one's religion is practiced at home/church/temples,etc.
As we all know there are a lot of gray areas when it comes to religion and politics in America, and people don't give up traditions easily. After all, our most famous holidays are based on Christian events: Christmas and Easter. So are we supposed to get rid of this? No.
Religion won't be razed in our government offices anytime soon, but its a philospohical question that deserves some thought on the issue.
None of our founding documents forbids the oft forgot second half of the "establishment" clause from being practiced in, on, or around public grounds or buildings, yet the secular establishment, using tax payer dollars and municipal funds to pay court fees, is continually assaulting religious people/groups/organizations on that particular issue. We now live in a society where children who try to read bibles during their free time in public schools have their bibles siezed and thrown in the garbage by school beaurocrats with a secular axe to grind. Yes, there are many grey areas, but let's be clear about who's at which end of the lash right now.
And the reason why Christmas and Easter will never be excised is because they've been stripped of all their Christian meaning, and secularized to the ground (Happy Holidays!). If they still had their original Chrisian conotations, they would cease to exist and the Gaia worshippers would rule the day even more so than they do now.