But this is absurd. The Constitution is a secular document describing a secular government, pure and simple. God is mentioned nowhere. Religion is mentioned only to forbid its endorsement by government. The Court disagrees. In some cases, as in the national motto, "In God We Trust" has lost its religious significance and is allowed. But in other cases clear religious dogma cannot be allowed. One can hardly be more overtly religious than statues of Jesus, complete with halo. As already pointed out, local governments cannot make laws which abridge a local citizen's Constitutional rights as an American citizen.
right, the atheists are forcing their dogma on you. i bet it really pains you when a public building is not adorned with a nativity scene. the atheists are shoving their lunacy down your throat. it must feel oppressive when a building isnt festooned with anything at all.
It's not the festooning. It's the offense taken at the festooning that makes me want to rape and kill.
so you want to shove your superstition down everyone's throat, and you damn well better not hear any complaints about it. i want nothing shoved upon anyone. i dont understand why you cant do your little magic celebrations at home. i dont bring my festivus pole to the city courthouse and ask passersby to do feats of strength.
No, the whole premise of this was Christine O'Donnell saying that there is no reference to separation of church and state in the constitution.
I agree will all but your last statement. Religion isn't mentioned except to forbid Congress from passing laws in regard to the establishment of religion and to forbid the federal government from prohibiting the free exercise of religion. This last phrase is always brushed over. How convenient. The court disagrees with me about the Kelo decision too, but I'm still quite sure I'm right. The constitution only says Congress can't pass laws mandating religious dogma. I think reasonable people can discuss the benefits of a separation of church and state and how it should be applied but quit pretending the constitution forbids a high school senior from thanking God during a commencement speech. It doesn't. Can you tell me where this statute is? I might agree with you. What constitutional right is being abridged? The right to be free from religious expression? Where is that in the constitution? And we aren't talking about laws. We are talking about communities honoring generations long traditions or individuals expressing their thanks to their own personal diety. There are no laws being made or broken. No federal revenue being used.
Complain about it all you want. Just don't try to bring the full force of the federal judiciary down on people just trying to celebrate Christmas. "And if you won't do it at home, I'll see that the Justice Dept makes you do it at home. But I don't want to shove nothing on nobody." Maybe you should. If you lived in a community filled with festivus observers then I wouldn't see an objection. Btw, do little shephards ask passersby to bring gifts to the baby Jesus?
I don't want to shove anything down anyone's throat. If there's a nativity scene on the courthouse lawn, I just can't understand why anyone would object. It's not like the passersby are getting shot at from someone behind the manger. Don't look at it of it bothers you. It's freaking stupid to be offended.
i live in a community filled with thousands and thousands of muslims. maybe we should put muslim paraphernalia downtown near world trade. i mean, if the muslims want it, why should you care? in fact i think they should put a minaret on the courthouse. that is exactly what you want to do.
