On May 8, 12:41=A0pm, s****hawk <s****h...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On May 8, 6:11=A0am, Middle Class Warrior <eelder...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > s****hawkwrote:
> > > On May 8, 1:02 am, buckeye <buckeye...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> > >> US Government Sponsored Prayers and The Pledge of
Allegiancehttp://bb=
snews.net/article.php/20080501163949996
> > >> [excerpt]
>
> > >> =A0Thursday, 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
si=
ng 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
an=
d
> > >> 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. =A0The Constitution says nothing about separation of
> > > Church and State. =A0I looked; it isn't there. =A0In fact, the
> > > Constitution specifically states that "Congress shall make no
> > > law . . . prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]." =A0Congress
ha=
s
> > > 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:
>
> > =A0 Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not,
i=
n
> > 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.
>
> And as a secular entity, the United States has no authority to
> interfere in the exercise of any religion, at any time, and in any
> place. =A0That includes the voluntary expressions of religious ideals
> and rite in private assemblies, in public meetings, in schools, or
> anywhere--even in Congress itself. =A0The United States government has
> no authority, moral or legal, to prohibit prayer anywhere.
>
> The Constitution clearly states that all powers not granted in the
> Constitution to the federal government are specifically reserved to
> the states or to the people. =A0The Constitution not only does not grant
> any powers to the central government to regulate religion, it also
> expressly denies any such power. =A0Any action by the federal
> authorities, whether executive, legislative, or judicial, to interfere
> with the free exercise of religion at any level is unconstitutional.
> That's what the First Amendment says.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
You are contriving to give primary im****tance to the Free Exercise
Clause when the Establishment Clause provides the appropriate
guidance, that is, to prevent official prayers in Congress.
I don't know why Americans have put up with this bull****e for so
long, because official public prayers in Congress are clearly
unconstitutional.
I am a pastafarian. If Priests can waddle into Congress and pray,
then so can my pastafarian ministers.
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