Religious Discrimination in the USA

[HungLikeJesus]

Originally Posted by Flint

All religions are something that somebody just made up. Of course, there's much more to it than that, and there are many more differences between various religions than there are similarities, but they all share that one core attribute: being something that somebody made up. This isn't even debatable; this is the definition of a fact. We can thrash around in the quagmire of semantics surrounding this fact, but it's not going anywhere.

Every time man creates a new religion, the universe creates a new reality.

And every time man creates a new scientific theory, the universe creates a new reality.

This is the problem with a multi-threaded universe.

But I still think that religion is primarily a means by which the few at the top can control the masses crawling through the mud at their feet. And god, any god, is an adult version of Santa Claus.

[piercehawkeye45]

Why can't he wear a pirate's outfit? He is just trying to make a scene and get attention but you can't disallow him from wearing it.

[wolf]

He's not one of the kids from that whackadoo Pirate family that was on Wife Swap a few weeks ago, was he?

How cool would that be, if we all got to make any statement we wanted to and everyone has to believes us because they can't prove a negative?
Court would be fun, huh?
I'm not saying that everyone should go around telling religious people that they can't believe what they want.
I am saying that if they are going to say one person's belief system is wrong, then they have to prove their own.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

How cool would that be, if we all got to make any statement we wanted to and everyone has to believes us because they can't prove a negative?
Court would be fun, huh?
I'm not saying that everyone should go around telling religious people that they can't believe what they want.
I am saying that if they are going to say one person's belief system is wrong, then they have to prove their own.

That's why faith is in church and law is in court.

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

That's why faith is in church and law is in court.

Good, now let's get rid of all vestiges of faith from the courts.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

Good, now let's get rid of all vestiges of faith from the courts.

There is no faith. Do YOU have faith in the courts?

[Aliantha]

It's ok for them to make him not wear his pirate suit. They probably don't allow veils or anything like that either.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

I'm not saying that everyone should go around telling religious people that they can't believe what they want.

Except of course the religious people who believe that immoral behavior (sin) leads to negative consequences (hell)? Because according to you that's child abuse.

I'm sorry your parents were overbearing and probably completely misinterpreted the concepts of sin and forgiveness in the Bible. But that doesn't make all teaching of the concept of an afterlife to be child abuse. You've alluded to other treatment you received which actually is child abuse, and I think you've permanently associated the two, which is unfortunate.

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Except of course the religious people who believe that immoral behavior (sin) leads to negative consequences (hell)? Because according to you that's child abuse.

I'm sorry your parents were overbearing and probably completely misinterpreted the concepts of sin and forgiveness in the Bible. But that doesn't make all teaching of the concept of an afterlife to be child abuse. You've alluded to other treatment you received which actually is child abuse, and I think you've permanently associated the two, which is unfortunate.

I was not raised Christian or by religious parents of any kind... nice shot in the dark though, keep tryin'.
I never said all concepts of the afterlife child abuse or anything of that nature. I made a very clear, specific, statement, if you read into that, that is your problem.
Belief and action are two, very different, things.
It is anyone's right to be a homophobe or racist... just not to act on it.

[Hyoi]

If you let them take away the kid's right to wear a pirate suit, they'll follow up with making the hot chicks wear bras. Folks, that's downright unAmerican.

I hate you for even thinking that!

[Aliantha]

So what you're saying rkz is that it's fine to have faith in your own religion, just don't think you have the right to tell someone else their own religion and therefore faith is wrong because if you do then you're putting the onus of proof on yourself first?

As Bruce points out, religion is about faith. I guess many people have trouble with the concept of other people having faith in other things. Religious fervour is a problem in many ways, but in others it can be good.

I think that's important to remember when it comes to arguments like these that even though religion and government should be separate, religion serves a great purpose to many people.

Originally Posted by Aliantha

So what you're saying rkz is that it's fine to have faith in your own religion, just don't think you have the right to tell someone else their own religion and therefore faith is wrong because if you do then you're putting the onus of proof on yourself first?

As Bruce points out, religion is about faith. I guess many people have trouble with the concept of other people having faith in other things. Religious fervour is a problem in many ways, but in others it can be good.

I think that's important to remember when it comes to arguments like these that even though religion and government should be separate, religion serves a great purpose to many people.

No, I advocate the complete separation of church and state.
If you want your kid exposed to religion in school, send them to a private school of your religious background.
But, if one is allowed into the schools, all must be equally.
I don't care what someone believes, I only care how they act upon their beliefs.

[monster]

Originally Posted by rkzenrage

No, I advocate the complete separation of church and state.
If you want your kid exposed to religion in school, send them to a private school of your religious background.

So they learn just the one persepective? That is ridiculously short-sighted. I quote myself from here

I think not teaching religion in the schools is the most ridiculous idea. Religion is such a huge part of so many people's lives it's no wonder there's so much disquiet when so many people know so little about people of different religions -their neighbors, their doctors, their police officers.... American schools need a decent non-denominational comparative religion program. And it shouldn't be optional. If your religion isn't strong enough that you can hear about others without wavering from your path/becoming impure/whatever, then you have no moral right to make demands on behalf of that religion. It's perfectly possible to teach about what some people belive without teaching that it is right or wrong.

/soapbox