Originally posted by: JediSage
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.
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.
Ok, I have never heard of any children having their Bibles siezed and thrown in the garbage. That was an unneeded exaggeration. One thing I hate when people use obvious
exaggerations to support their argument.
The First Amendment:
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.
To me, this says that people can practice their religion on public property but the government can't get involved in it. So although you have the right to pray to the god of the your choice while on school property, School officals can't lead a prayer or have an offical school prayer. Which means reading the Bible on your own free time, say at lunch is perfectly O.K.
About the "In God We Trust" on our money and "One Nation Under God" in our pledge. Tell me, would the Government be allowed to change the words to "In God We Do Not
Trust", and "One Nation Not Under God"? If the Government can't print on our money "In God We Do Not Trust", why can the Goverment print on our money "In God We Trust"? By allowing "In God We Trust" and disallowing "In God We Do Not Trust" The Government is imho, establishing a religous belief. Which is outlawed by the 1st Amendment.
Same goes for the pledge.
One last thing, alot of people say the 1st Amendment only gives freedom of religion and not freedom from religion. I ask, how can you have true freedom of religion without having freedom from religion?
btw: I am not an Athiest, I am a Protestant. Although I'm sure some of my beliefs go against my Church's beliefs.