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But the GOVERNMENT is participating/supporting beetnemesis Send a noteboard - 07/05/2014 04:17:32 AM

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I'm not picking a fight. I'm just stating that you sitting there doesn't amount to you participating or supporting. Much akin to <name a group> has a parade doesn't make you a supporter because you happen to pay taxes in that city.

It doesn't really matter if moondog is offended or not. It comes down to what he said in his previous post:


I think the big problem comes from these little towns which believe that everyone shares their religious identity, and so it becomes "no big deal" to begin each government meeting with an invocation to the christian god.

"Hey, we're all good, God-fearing Americans here, let's just have a little prayer to ask God to bless us this meeting."

"Hey, we're all good Christians here, we don't want any of our kids going to hell, let's just leave their sex education at 'don't have it' and leave it at that"

"Let's have our town fair at the church, since we all go there on Sundays anyway, right? Father Tom says he knows a nice Christian Rock band that can play for us."

"We have 5,000 dollars extra in the budget this year, what shall we do with it? Hm, hm, oh, here's a great idea from Mrs Smith, why not give it to the school so they can put on a really great Passion Play this year?"


I realize that these are not apocalyptic scenarios (I'm not trying to make a slippery slope argument, although I'm sure you can see how this attitude could become much grimmer with proper stimulus). But all of those statements I just threw out are examples of something that would lend strength to the idea that "our town" is solely made up of devout Christians, and that's where our priorities lie.


So yeah, again- the main concern isn't that people are being "forced to pray." It's that having a prayer at the start of a government function creates an atmosphere of exclusion where there shouldn't be one, and grants an unconscious moral authority to religion.

(Please don't counter with "that's ridiculous, no one is being excluded." )

I amuse myself.
This message last edited by beetnemesis on 07/05/2014 at 03:47:12 PM
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SCOTUS - Time to pray at Town Council meetings! - 05/05/2014 06:54:56 PM 966 Views
I'm agnostic but I think they made the right decision - 05/05/2014 08:09:21 PM 558 Views
Yeah, pretty much how I feel *NM* - 06/05/2014 12:27:22 AM 246 Views
Absolutely.....I'm not religious, but I love this decision..... - 06/05/2014 02:36:29 AM 503 Views
I think you're misunderstanding the problem. It's not a question of being "offended" - 06/05/2014 02:43:26 PM 473 Views
But look at what you're advocating for... - 06/05/2014 10:55:56 PM 477 Views
let's not go to extremes - 07/05/2014 12:33:38 AM 482 Views
please point out where constitution calls for a separation of church and state - 07/05/2014 06:44:42 PM 481 Views
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...." - 08/05/2014 12:37:06 AM 444 Views
so the answer no you can't - 08/05/2014 04:50:26 AM 456 Views
Again- it's not about being offended - 07/05/2014 04:02:29 AM 524 Views
America doesn't have seperation of church and state it has freedom of relgion - 07/05/2014 06:42:19 PM 482 Views
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The words are clear and the intent is well documented - 08/05/2014 05:13:42 AM 477 Views
Yeah, seems sensible. - 05/05/2014 10:08:39 PM 496 Views
Re: Yeah, seems sensible. - 06/05/2014 07:04:01 PM 477 Views
our Constitution expressly prohibits the establishment of religion by government, though - 06/05/2014 09:20:19 PM 470 Views
I couldn't disagree more... - 06/05/2014 10:50:19 PM 477 Views
bad analogy - 07/05/2014 12:19:26 AM 474 Views
But the GOVERNMENT is participating/supporting - 07/05/2014 04:17:32 AM 475 Views
Yeah, I'm aware. - 07/05/2014 07:03:36 AM 479 Views
That's not unreasonable - 06/05/2014 08:01:48 AM 552 Views
There's plenty that I don't want.... - 06/05/2014 10:57:41 PM 511 Views
In Keeping With Tradition Is Terrible Justification - 08/05/2014 03:37:34 AM 506 Views

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