Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: MSB who wrote (59224)	10/17/1999 7:14:00 PM
From: epicure	Respond to of 108807

>Point: Kids can't make the distinction! But yet we can't have anything to do with anything about religion in anyway shape or form in public schools. < True, kids can't make the distinction. And because they don't completely understand they are impressionable. That is rather the point. Any prayer is religion and the school has no business inculcating it. The absence from religion is guaranteed- the government (Federal - and some states, I believe) all have within their Constitutions provisions AGAINST the establishment of religion. To make children pray- is to establish religion (imo). As for it being my values- YOU BET. That too, is the POINT. We all have a right to raise our children in the religion (or absence of religion) of our choice. That is the guarantee of our Constitution. Of course that could be changed (and we too could have religious wars like other countries)- but right now, that's the way it is- no public religion. The minority is only asking to be protected- it is not trying to foist minority religions on you. Refraining from proselytizing (and that is essentially what this boils down to) is not quashing religion. It is simply a prohibition from making people pray in a public school. Little children who wish to pray silently can always pray. As for moving away- that is de facto segregation to accommodate people who are so intolerant they cannot live in a world where their beliefs are not the only beliefs. People who cannot tolerate anything but that their beliefs be reinforced by the State are not very good Americans. I think that is the point of view in Israel, or Italy, or some other country with a state religion- but it is certainly not the US. The only people who should be moving are the people who think they can force their religion on others- because that has never been the ideal in America. You can't have religious toleration (the ideal of America) and still favor one religion over others.

To: MSB who wrote (59224)	10/17/1999 7:24:00 PM
From: Rambi	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 108807

How it is that you make the leap of a simple prayer spoken aloud lasting all of one minute at the most to defining your children's education befuddles me. Now please, explain that to me Because, in your example, the message to ALL children would be that THIS (the Christian perspective) is what you SHOULD be--- and if you're not, if you're parents are not, then you're "different" and not really "equal". Because obviously if YOU were right, they would say your Jewish prayer, or your Buddhist prayer, or your Wicca prayer. Prayer is NOT simple, MSB. And if you have a child who is bright and thoughtful and sensitive, it doesn't just float over his head like some weird statement by strange Aunt Gladys who believes Martians abduct her at night. These are people with authority and credibility presenting one viewpoint--- one side of Michael C's elephant. And I believe that if we are going to present one side, it obligates us to present all--- or none..

To: MSB who wrote (59224)	10/17/1999 7:33:00 PM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

MSB, you would think no one here had ever experienced having dinner with a friend or family member who said a prayer while you were visiting. Hearing a prayer said in your vicinity is not the same thing a forcing anyone to pray. People who are tolerant and understanding, will respect cultural diversity and sit in silence until it's over. Some would call this a painful experience. To me it's simply understanding and accepting that people have different beliefs then your own. I actually kind of like it, because it allows me an opportunity to experience important aspects of my friends, that I may not have known existed before hand. America and Christian traditions have been linked from the beginning. To deny our cultural traditions, is to deny our history and who we are as a people. Welcome to America, and by the way, you may run into a few christians running around (something like 90% of the people) so don't be shocked if occasionally one wants to pray near you. Somehow we survived for 200 plus years dealing with these horrid acts. I suspect if it continued we would survive 200 more. Michael