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.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Gordon A. Langston who wrote (546438)	2/29/2004 5:39:50 AM
From: Orcastraiter	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Most of these artifacts of Christianity or Judaeo-Christian legacy are not new. What Jewish artifacts do we have on display in public places? Kicking out ALL prayer was extreme and actually showed that government had no business regulating education. Not so. All prayer was not kicked out. Everyone is allowed to pray anytime they want to. What is not allowed is a prayer led by the school. It is not the place of the government or the school to tell everyone they need to pray in the manner they prescribe. It was too large a portion of the community life to sterilize with prohibitions. Prayer continues to be a part of the lives of those who wish to partake. No one has stopped anyone from praying. We have only decided to not let the school direct the prayer. Any student can pray any where, anytime. So long as it does not disrupt others. What is freedom if you have to ask permission. What is freedom if I'm forced to say your prayer? I still believe the admonition was strictly referring to sects (Lutherans, Episcopalians, Catholics, etc.) of Christianity and there is evidence of this in the writings of the founders. Lets read the founders words: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." They do not say "congress shall make no law respecting establishment of religion, except for the sects of Christians and Jews" They do not say "or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, unless it is a sect of Christianity, where it is understood to be the religion of the state." No it's clear that the founders saw that even amongst the various sects that there were enough disagreements between them that trying to allow the church rights over government, or worse allowing the government over sight of the church, would have meant certain problems down the road. Not to mention that many of the people of the new land (America) were escaping religious tyranny from various governments, including England and the Church of England. The founders were clear in their intent. Separation of church and state is the wise choice. And in the formation of a brand new democracy in Iraq, we have already stated that the new government shall not be a government modeled after Islamic religion. In Iraq, a majority of the Sunnis want a religious government. Bush stands clearly in the way of Iraq combining church and state, yet has blurred the lines between separation of our government and the Christian religion That is hypocrisy in it's truest form. Or it's arrogance, or both. Keep America strong. Keep religion strong. This will be done best by keeping religion out of government and government out of religion. Orca