This article is VERY interesting!
I completely agree with the author. The founding fathers did indeed intend that religion and government should be separate.
Fanatics like Santorum and the Religious Right would tell you differently, they are wrong! Several states have passed laws SNEAKING religion into schools etc. Even religious people NEED to stand up and say THIS IS WRONG.
It's chilling what is happening with the religious right. It needs to be STOPPED.
Showing posts with label prayer in school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer in school. Show all posts
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Prayer in school? Take off your clothes first!
Wow. All I can say is wow.
A family in Philadelphia got upset at the school and disrobed in the parking lot and prayed. They didn't get divine intervention, Jesus didn't save them, God didn't come down and make the school officials do what the mother wanted. The POLICE did come and arrest them for being nude in public and trespassing.
Here is the story if you care to read it.
Hmm.
Is this an argument FOR prayer in school?
Would having prayer in school kept this from happening?
I don't think so.
Just more proof that religion is for CRAZY people. Logical, intelligent people don't strip down and pray to thier imaginary friends, we DISCUSS the issue with the parties involved and come to a logical and fair solution.
Just more Christian craziness.
A family in Philadelphia got upset at the school and disrobed in the parking lot and prayed. They didn't get divine intervention, Jesus didn't save them, God didn't come down and make the school officials do what the mother wanted. The POLICE did come and arrest them for being nude in public and trespassing.
Here is the story if you care to read it.
Hmm.
Is this an argument FOR prayer in school?
Would having prayer in school kept this from happening?
I don't think so.
Just more proof that religion is for CRAZY people. Logical, intelligent people don't strip down and pray to thier imaginary friends, we DISCUSS the issue with the parties involved and come to a logical and fair solution.
Just more Christian craziness.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Update to Venting Post
So get this:
The head IDIOT (Coach) Suspended my son from the last game of the season for something he DIDN'T DO!
Yes, that's correct.
My wife and I proved he did nothing and that there wasn't an issue. The IDIOT decided to suspend him anyway. OK. He's stupid and a moron I get it. My son and I decided that since the last game of the season (the game he got suspended from) fell on MY BIRTHDAY (Yes, happy B-Day to me) that we would skip the game and do some father-son stuff together. He wanted to take me to lunch, play some video games etc. So, we skipped the game and did some stuff together.
No harm in that right? Not a big deal, he wasn't playing anyway. He didn't want to go, and I was irritated enough at the IDIOT that I didn't see the point in going either.
So, come to find out they LOSE their game. Ok. they lost most of the games they played this year, mostly due to inept coaching on his part but that is another story. I guess he did something to get himself kicked off the sidelines and couldn't be on the sidelines to coach. (Not sure what that was, I WASN'T there). Suddenly I am getting nasty emails and facebook posts claiming that I DID SOMETHING to cause this.
This is where I am confused, if I WASN'T THERE, how could I have done something to them? Sounds a bit like the 'blame game" and childish CRAP to me. Until Monday, when I got to work and checked my email I had NO IDEA that they had even had an issue at the game. I didn't check my facebook updates or anything all weekend so I had no idea there was any issue at all.
Needless to say, my son goes to school on Monday and kids from the team are saying it MY FAULT they lost. IT seems the IDIOT is telling the KIDS it's MY FAULT they lost. Not sure how, but he is for some reason hell bent on making me the exucse for his INEPT and terrible coaching and behavior.
Needless to say, my son will NOT be playing for those IDIOTS next year and I would encourage anyone that has kids that play sports to NOT sign them up for anything involving that IDIOT. I won't post his name or anything here since he would probably SUE me for stating the truth or some other garbage.
I am over it, really I am.
Stupid people just shouldn't breed.
The head IDIOT (Coach) Suspended my son from the last game of the season for something he DIDN'T DO!
Yes, that's correct.
My wife and I proved he did nothing and that there wasn't an issue. The IDIOT decided to suspend him anyway. OK. He's stupid and a moron I get it. My son and I decided that since the last game of the season (the game he got suspended from) fell on MY BIRTHDAY (Yes, happy B-Day to me) that we would skip the game and do some father-son stuff together. He wanted to take me to lunch, play some video games etc. So, we skipped the game and did some stuff together.
No harm in that right? Not a big deal, he wasn't playing anyway. He didn't want to go, and I was irritated enough at the IDIOT that I didn't see the point in going either.
So, come to find out they LOSE their game. Ok. they lost most of the games they played this year, mostly due to inept coaching on his part but that is another story. I guess he did something to get himself kicked off the sidelines and couldn't be on the sidelines to coach. (Not sure what that was, I WASN'T there). Suddenly I am getting nasty emails and facebook posts claiming that I DID SOMETHING to cause this.
This is where I am confused, if I WASN'T THERE, how could I have done something to them? Sounds a bit like the 'blame game" and childish CRAP to me. Until Monday, when I got to work and checked my email I had NO IDEA that they had even had an issue at the game. I didn't check my facebook updates or anything all weekend so I had no idea there was any issue at all.
Needless to say, my son goes to school on Monday and kids from the team are saying it MY FAULT they lost. IT seems the IDIOT is telling the KIDS it's MY FAULT they lost. Not sure how, but he is for some reason hell bent on making me the exucse for his INEPT and terrible coaching and behavior.
Needless to say, my son will NOT be playing for those IDIOTS next year and I would encourage anyone that has kids that play sports to NOT sign them up for anything involving that IDIOT. I won't post his name or anything here since he would probably SUE me for stating the truth or some other garbage.
I am over it, really I am.
Stupid people just shouldn't breed.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Separation of Church and State? (In God We Trust)?
I found this article on the First Church of Atheism Blog. (Please go there, and donate and help them help all Atheists everywhere). I think it's relevant:
By Rev. Chris Andersen
Throughout the course of my wanderings, the subject of religion and government has occasionally reared its head in discussions with friends, family, classmates, etc. While talking about the merits and negatives of including “In God We Trust” on our currency, I noticed a common statement: “It’s just four words. What does it matter?” The same is said concerning the phrase “One Nation Under God” in our pledge. On the surface, I may agree. My worry is that it will not end at just four words. So where will it end?
Hmmm, time for a brief history lesson:
A Gospel Minister, Rev. M. R. Watkinson, sent a letter in November 1861 to the Secretary of the Treasury. This was a time when religious fervor was en vogue during the Civil War. In the letter, Rev. Watkinson pleaded his case (from one Christian to another) that U.S. currency should recognize all mighty god in some form.
An excerpt from his letter:
“… no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.”
Within seven days of the original letter, the Secretary of the Treasury set about the process of devising a motto to include on the nation’s coins. In God We Trust first appeared on U.S. coins three years later in 1864. The motto’s appearance on our coins came and went… and came and went… and well, you get the point. That changed during the McCarthy period when in 1956 the President approved a law passed by Congress which made IN GOD WE TRUST our national motto. Beginning the following year, our new national motto would be printed on U.S. currency… coin AND paper.
The passing of this law came on the heels of another landmark event. Congress added the words “under god” to the pledge of allegiance two years earlier in 1954. One of the arguments of the day was that reasonable people should not object to the addition of just two words (sounds remarkably similar to what the reverend had said nearly 100 years earlier).
A decade later, government and religion were back on the front pages. The non-theist population started asserting its voice. An Atheist mother was enraged that her tax money was being used to buy bibles for public schools. Worse than that was the mandate that her son would take part in bible readings and prayer while attending school. When her son opted out, he was beaten by his classmates while the school officials turned a blind eye. The mother brought suit against the board of education. In a nearly unanimous decision (8-1), the Supreme Court agreed that mandatory bible readings and school prayer were unconstitutional.
In the years since, many have argued that the establishment clause of the constitution either does not exist or does not apply because of past precedent. What precedent you may ask? You guessed it… Government endorsement of religion on U.S. currency, Government endorsement of religion through our national motto, Government endorsement of religion in our official pledge of allegiance.
People who want religion integrated more into our government / education / society often claim that a few liberal judges have hijacked the legal system and are legislating from the bench. This argument just doesn’t hold water. Judges have pointed to the establishment clause consistently over many decades. These are not isolated cases involving a few radical judges. The dual protections of the first amendment have been cited by dozens of courts and judges over a sustained period of time. Both liberal judges as well as ultra-conservative judges have pointed to the constitutional protections in their findings.
By keeping phrases such as “in god we trust” and “under god” in our official government psyche, we keep the door open for fundamentalists to claim precedent. The fight is ongoing to bring organized prayer and bible readings back into public schools. If the religious wing manages to get that through somehow, do you think they will be satisfied? They weren’t satisfied with having coins minted with “in god we trust”. They weren’t satisfied with having a religious national motto. They were not satisfied with making every citizen in the country acknowledge a god in order to pledge their allegiance to this nation and its flag.
If they gain momentum, what will be next? Will they once again start banning any books that are not in agreement with the bible? Strike classes from school curriculum which do not conform to biblical stories? This is not much of a stretch, but what will be next? Will we start enforcing more laws from the bible? Start snuffing out any atheistic movements as well as Wiccans and Satanists? After that we may move on to tell Muslims that they have their own countries they can live in. After all, this is a nation founded on CHRISTIAN principles. If we do not stay vigilant in the protection of the separation principles of the first amendment, we could end up like the people of England before the settlement of America; being forced to adhere to a narrow religious interpretation. This may not include Mormons. It may not include Jews. It may not include Protestants if the government happens to follow catholic principles instead. It is in everyone’s — religious or not — best interest to maintain a strict separation of church and state. By allowing religion into the government business, we allow government into religious business. I don’t think anyone really wants that.
By Rev. Chris Andersen
Throughout the course of my wanderings, the subject of religion and government has occasionally reared its head in discussions with friends, family, classmates, etc. While talking about the merits and negatives of including “In God We Trust” on our currency, I noticed a common statement: “It’s just four words. What does it matter?” The same is said concerning the phrase “One Nation Under God” in our pledge. On the surface, I may agree. My worry is that it will not end at just four words. So where will it end?
Hmmm, time for a brief history lesson:
A Gospel Minister, Rev. M. R. Watkinson, sent a letter in November 1861 to the Secretary of the Treasury. This was a time when religious fervor was en vogue during the Civil War. In the letter, Rev. Watkinson pleaded his case (from one Christian to another) that U.S. currency should recognize all mighty god in some form.
An excerpt from his letter:
“… no possible citizen could object. This would relieve us from the ignominy of heathenism. This would place us openly under the Divine protection we have personally claimed. From my hearth I have felt our national shame in disowning God as not the least of our present national disasters.”
Within seven days of the original letter, the Secretary of the Treasury set about the process of devising a motto to include on the nation’s coins. In God We Trust first appeared on U.S. coins three years later in 1864. The motto’s appearance on our coins came and went… and came and went… and well, you get the point. That changed during the McCarthy period when in 1956 the President approved a law passed by Congress which made IN GOD WE TRUST our national motto. Beginning the following year, our new national motto would be printed on U.S. currency… coin AND paper.
The passing of this law came on the heels of another landmark event. Congress added the words “under god” to the pledge of allegiance two years earlier in 1954. One of the arguments of the day was that reasonable people should not object to the addition of just two words (sounds remarkably similar to what the reverend had said nearly 100 years earlier).
A decade later, government and religion were back on the front pages. The non-theist population started asserting its voice. An Atheist mother was enraged that her tax money was being used to buy bibles for public schools. Worse than that was the mandate that her son would take part in bible readings and prayer while attending school. When her son opted out, he was beaten by his classmates while the school officials turned a blind eye. The mother brought suit against the board of education. In a nearly unanimous decision (8-1), the Supreme Court agreed that mandatory bible readings and school prayer were unconstitutional.
In the years since, many have argued that the establishment clause of the constitution either does not exist or does not apply because of past precedent. What precedent you may ask? You guessed it… Government endorsement of religion on U.S. currency, Government endorsement of religion through our national motto, Government endorsement of religion in our official pledge of allegiance.
People who want religion integrated more into our government / education / society often claim that a few liberal judges have hijacked the legal system and are legislating from the bench. This argument just doesn’t hold water. Judges have pointed to the establishment clause consistently over many decades. These are not isolated cases involving a few radical judges. The dual protections of the first amendment have been cited by dozens of courts and judges over a sustained period of time. Both liberal judges as well as ultra-conservative judges have pointed to the constitutional protections in their findings.
By keeping phrases such as “in god we trust” and “under god” in our official government psyche, we keep the door open for fundamentalists to claim precedent. The fight is ongoing to bring organized prayer and bible readings back into public schools. If the religious wing manages to get that through somehow, do you think they will be satisfied? They weren’t satisfied with having coins minted with “in god we trust”. They weren’t satisfied with having a religious national motto. They were not satisfied with making every citizen in the country acknowledge a god in order to pledge their allegiance to this nation and its flag.
If they gain momentum, what will be next? Will they once again start banning any books that are not in agreement with the bible? Strike classes from school curriculum which do not conform to biblical stories? This is not much of a stretch, but what will be next? Will we start enforcing more laws from the bible? Start snuffing out any atheistic movements as well as Wiccans and Satanists? After that we may move on to tell Muslims that they have their own countries they can live in. After all, this is a nation founded on CHRISTIAN principles. If we do not stay vigilant in the protection of the separation principles of the first amendment, we could end up like the people of England before the settlement of America; being forced to adhere to a narrow religious interpretation. This may not include Mormons. It may not include Jews. It may not include Protestants if the government happens to follow catholic principles instead. It is in everyone’s — religious or not — best interest to maintain a strict separation of church and state. By allowing religion into the government business, we allow government into religious business. I don’t think anyone really wants that.
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