Probably the same reason blacks don't harken back to the days of slavery even though it is in our Constitution that blacks and Indians only count 3/5 of a person. The really great thing about tradition is that it is rooted in the past and therefore, if it is irrelevant or wrong, it can be removed. This is not a Constitutional requirement.
It is unlikely that anything that is as personal as religion or even prayer is going to be all inclusive. None of the Invocations provided by another poster could be construed as non-denominational. There are (as a result of immigration in the last 40-50 years) SIGNIFICANTLY more people of different religions including but not limited to Buddhism, Hindu, Moslem, Wiccan, New Age and a host of others whose adherents take their religion as seriously as the Christian majority takes theirs.
We are not dogs. Just because we used to circle 3 times before we sit down, doesn't mean we have to continue to do so until our nation dies. For every person that the invocation brings comfort, there is likely someone, somewhere who is offended. In such cases, the burden of proof is on the person claiming their right to do something and deference should be given to those who prefer nothing, especially because this is a country based upon freedom of religion, as you pointed out.
What is freedom of religion if freedom FROM religion isn't recognized and practiced in secular acts of the state? JMO. |
