s****hawk wrote:
> On May 8, 1:02 am, buckeye <buckeye...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> US Government Sponsored Prayers and The Pledge of
Allegiancehttp://bbsnews.net/article.php/20080501163949996
>> [excerpt]
>>
>> Thursday, May 01 2008 @[EMAIL PROTECTED]
04:39 PM EDT
>> Edited by: Michael Hess
>>
>> The American Way
>>
>> BBSNews 2008-05-01 -- By Naman Crowe. I've sung this song but I'll sing
it
>> again. Let's get real. Let's start looking to the day when we can put
to
>> rest the tired tradition of opening Congress with the Daily Prayer and
>> Pledge of Allegiance, on the grounds that they go counter to our
>> Constitution which requires a separation of Church and State.
>>
>
> No it doesn't. The Constitution says nothing about separation of
> Church and State. I looked; it isn't there. In fact, the
> Constitution specifically states that "Congress shall make no
> law . . . prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]." Congress has
> no authority to prohibit anyone from engaging in religious exercises,
> in public, in private, in prison, or even in Congress itself. Free men
> are entitled to pray as they please--even congressmen.
>
There have been 50 large court cases on the separation of church and
state and a legal doctrine developed form these court cases. You should
also check out the Treaty of Tripoli n 1797:
Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in
any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no
character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of
Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of
hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties,
that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an
interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
This treaty was signed by John Adams and unanimously approved by the
Senate. It provide a clear and compelling written evidence the the
Founding Fathers perceived the US as a secular state.
Why wouldn't they? The Catholic church kept Europe in the Dark ages for
1000 years and religious wars ensued between Protestants and Catholics
for hundreds of year after the Dark Ages. the US was founded on the eve
of the French Revolution which was anti-Catholic because the church had
collaborated with the monarchy for centuries.
Prayer is schools is questionable because there are so many different
religions and view points. I know that religious displays are allowed in
schools around holidays and long as more than one religion is
represented. I would prefer my kids learn something is school rather
time in prayer and other religious activities. That is what the home and
church is for.
|
