Findlay struggles with that whole separation of church and state thing
Published on June 11, 2008
http://www.clevescene.com/2008-06-11/news/findlay-struggles-with-that-whole-separation-of-church-and-state-thing
[excerpt]
The desolate plains of western Ohio can play tricks on your mind — like
making you think you're from Kansas or something. Which may explain the
Findlay public schools' annual free Bible day.
Fifth-graders were dismissed early from class last week in order to walk
with their teachers to a spot about three blocks away from school. That's
where professional Christians were handing out free Bibles to every kid.
Apparently, there were no history teachers on hand; otherwise someone
might
have noted that said adventure runs afoul of that quaint little artifact
known as the Constitution.
But since the government has largely given up on enforcing the separation
of church and state, the ACLU kindly stepped in. It's threatened to sue
the
district if it doesn't suspend Bible Day, which has been going on for
years.
"We feel that religion is such a private personal opinion," says spokesman
Mike Brickner. "It should be up to the students and parents to decide how
much exposure to religion they want."
The ACLU is quick to point out that there's nothing wrong with people
handing out Bibles on the street — unless they're also waving those
aborted-fetus placards, which can really ruin your appetite if you're on
your way to Burger King.
"If anyone had tried to prevent them from doing so, we'd probably be
defending them," Brickner says. It's just the "field-trip thing" that rubs
them the wrong way.
"We heard that a Muslim parent had complained because her daughter felt
pressured to take a Bible," says Brickner. "That creates a problem."
But to Findlay residents, the whole thing is rather ridiculous. "Findlay
is
super Christian to begin with," says one recent high-school graduate.
"Everyone in the town already owns a Bible — or six. In fact, I have more
Bibles than I do voice messages," she adds, looking crossly at her cell
phone. "Want one?"
[end excerpt]
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You are invited to check out the following:
The Rise of the Theocratic States of America
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocracy.htm
American Theocrats - Past and Present
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/theocrats.htm
The Constitutional Principle: Separation of Church and State
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
[and to join the discussion group for the above site and/or Separation of
Church and State in general, listed below]
HRSepCnS · Historical Reality SepChurch&State
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HRSepCnS/
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.. . . You can't understand a phrase such as "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion" by syllogistic reasoning. Words
take their meaning from social as well as textual contexts, which is why
"a
page of history is worth a volume of logic." New York Trust Co. v.
Eisner,
256 U.S. 345, 349, 41 S.Ct. 506, 507, 65 L.Ed. 963 (1921) (Holmes, J.).
Sherman v. Community Consol. Dist. 21, 980 F.2d 437, 445 (7th Cir. 1992)
.. . .
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USAF LT. COL (Ret) Buffman (Glen P. Goffin) wrote
"You pilot always into an unknown future;
facts are your only clue. Get the facts!"
That philosophy 'snipit' helped to get me, and my crew, through a good
many combat missions and far too many scary, inflight, emergencies.
It has also played a significant role in helping me to expose the
plethora of radical Christian propaganda and lies that we find at
almost every media turn.
*****************************************************************
THE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE:
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
http://members.tripod.com/~candst/index.html
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