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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MSB who wrote (59218)	10/17/1999 4:09:00 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Why would I point out what US laws are contrary to the New Testament? I don't know the NT well enough to do that. What I will point out is that Christmas displays ABOUND- as do Easter displays. Every business has a creche, many lawns have angels, all the stores will let you send HE IS BORN, or HALLELUJA cards to everyone on your Christmas list (and for those in the minority- Kwansa and Hannukah cards are also available). Our society thrives on religious commercialism- there is clearly no barrier to the PRIVATE practice of religion or the SALE of religion. It is sold in the PRIVATE marketplace in abundance. In fact the market overfloweth with relgiosity (imo). In our town we have at least 8 Bible shops- selling (for your religious pleasure) sculpture, scripture, games and other artifacts for the religious home or business. These are all Christian shops- to my knowledge we don't have any Buddhist. Muslim or Jewish shops- I think of these as head shops for Christians. Now I think it is GREAT that these businesses exist- and there need be no equal opportunity because these are private businesses- if we get enough Muslims to support a Muslim Stop n' Shop I am sure one will spring up. And the Christian shops proliferate- Christianity is hardly shriveling up. How about that line of jewelry and other accessories? What would Jesus Do. I don't know why the Christians always mention their right to practice their religion is about to be taken away from them. I see absolutely no evidence of that. I see a zillion TV channels devoted to all manner of Christian broadcasting ( and some of THEM ironically mention their "fear" of Christianity being squashed); I hear Christian radio stations; I see an abundance of churches. I do not see how you make the leap from PUBLIC respect in schools and PUBLIC places to taking away Christian expression in the HOME. We are merely doing (finally) what we should ALWAYS have done- respecting the line between church and state- we HAVE to do it now because we are so heterogeneous. We SHOULD have always been that way. Look at it this way- the Christians got an unfair free ride for many many years with all that prayer in school. When you talk about "the good old days" when you could pray in school, and have religious symbols in public- you are talking about a time when our country was much more homogeneous. The one Jewish family in town probably felt VERY uncomfortable in the Mid-West- but nobody cared. Now the minority is large enough to speak- and everyone should listen. I do not understand why anyone should want to oppress people with religion. Religion should be a celebration of your own beliefs, in your home and place of worship- it seems very base to me that religions wish to use the machinery of the state (although it makes sense since organized religions are powerful institutions which wish to further their own power structures). I have no problem with Christianity- but I do find it funny that Christians wish to foist it on people who really really do not want it. We have a high population of Jewish students at my children's school- as well as several hindu children- and who knows how many agnostics (not an easily identifiable group). I am sure the parents of the Jewish and Hindu children would be most uncomfortable with a prayer to the Christian God. Ish mentioned the POWER of mental attitudes- with his post about the insecticide. Ideas ARE important and powerful (if they weren't so POWERFUL why would Christians WANT all the little children praying? I can tell you why- because an idea presented by an authority figure to an impressionable child makes an impression. THAT is why we inculcate children into our familial religions at young ages. I - and most other people- do not want the Schools choosing my child's religious education- I don't want them to have ANY hand in it at all. My children are my children- to guide as I see fit in the path of religion)

To: MSB who wrote (59218)	10/17/1999 10:16:00 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

MSB, the separation is between church and state. That ought to be easy for you to understand. State = government. Public school = state. Government building = state. Private homes are not the state. Get a grip, guy. As for your "conceding" prayer in school, forget about it. It's a done deal. That won't be reversed in your lifetime, if ever at all. I could explain why, but if you can't understand the conceptual difference between your home and a public place, I might be wasting my time.