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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!!
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To: MSB who wrote (59211)10/17/1999 2:06:00 PM
From: epicure  Read Replies (1) of 108807
 
>This prayer thing to "believers" is simply one more way I see as a way of completely
pushing religion out of our lives, and I think this is the gist of the issue here, the fear
of not being able to practice one's beliefs anywhere.<

This is not true at all. The point is ALL may practice and NONE may dominate. Everyone is free to pray at any time (for who can stop a child or grown man from praying silently?)- you could conceivably pray all day long- and who would stop you? I certainly wouldn't- in fact I would support your right to worship in any way you like SO LONG AS YOU DO NOT MOLEST OTHERS. I find being attacked by the religious, especially AT MY HOME (when I have a sign on the door that says no soliciting) to be extremely noxious. I do not knock on the doors of others to spread my beliefs about agnosticism. I do not even campaign for Bertrand Russell to be read in school (even though I personally believe humongous doses of Russell would be extremely salubrious to the mental health of the young). I do not campaign in any way to foist my beliefs upon others- except that I occasionally mention my beliefs in forums such as this one.

The absence of established religion in school- is NOT the same as abolishing it. THe absence of prayer in school is NOT a condemnation of prayer. The absence is NOT being filled by a secular prayer to liberalism, or a Wicca prayer to the great mother, the absence is merely- an abstention from action, an opportunity to let people act on their own as their own consciences direct them- but stopping at the nose (or ears) of their neighbor. This has everything to do with respect, and nothing to do with coercion- unless it is the coercion of respect- and I grant you- to a certain extent- it IS that. But since many religions have NO respect for people of other faiths or of no faith a little coercion is necessary to protect the "other"- whomever the "other" happens to be.

As for my post about shooting proselytizers- it was merely to point out (in an argument ad absurdum) that whatever my beliefs- I should never be allowed to act upon them in such a way as to infringe upon the rights of another.
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