towards a secular america — OZONE Asylum, home of the Mad Scientists

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towards a secular america

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Your Text: Insert Slimies » Insert UBB Code » Close Last Tag \| All Tags UBB Help	Don't "they" already do that? From [i]Everson v. Board of Education[/i]: [quote]The establishment of religion clause means at least this: Neither a state nor the federal government may set up a church. Neither can pass laws that aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. Neither can force a person to go to or to remain away from church against his will or force him to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion... . Neither a state or the federal government may, openly or secretly, participate in the affairs of any religious organizations or groups and vice versa. In the words of Jefferson, the clause against establishment of religion by law was intended to erect 'a wall of separation between church and state.'[/quote] Also from the amended Lemon test ([i]Agostini v. Felton[/i]), the establishment clause is violated when: 1. The government supports "indoctrination" 2. Selecting benefit recipients on the basis of religion 3. Government entanglement with religion. -- What I am saying is this: that the [i]transcendent[/i] civil religion should be recognized alongside denominational religions. For example government-supported Memorial Day celebrations should not invoke God to validate American wars, references to American exceptionalism should not mention derivatives of the "city on a hill" idea. We should identify the tenants of a civil religion because these tenants have been used historically to further totalitarian regimes, genocides, isolationism, imperialism, and political-worship. I guess this is Spock talking though a haze of pot smoke. I am not saying we should abolish civil religion from society, because it has obvious uses, but that politics should be filtered through some type of "logical" system. Probably idealistic, and I'm probably masturbating with my mouth (or hand on keyboard here!). However if the civil religion was recognized alongside denominational religions, litigation-happy groups (ACLU, etc) could threaten lawsuits against government officials or offices who use the civil religion for personal (political) benefit. However this would clog the legal system, be horribly ineffective, and be terribly unpopular with the American public. So... So yes to JK :p [small](Edited by [url=http://www.ozoneasylum.com/user/4153]cfb[/url] on 11-02-2006 07:45)[/small] [small](Edited by [url=http://www.ozoneasylum.com/user/4153]cfb[/url] on 11-02-2006 07:49)[/small] Loading...
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