"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, "

[NotANeocon]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."


Despite the 1st there seems to have been a religion surreptitiously formed this year. I've been hearing about "sacred ground" and "sacred ideas" (like democracy) being attacked - particularly since 1/6/21.

Have our journalists run out of words like "beloved, respected, archival, historic, peoples place, etc" just to name a few, when speaking of government buildings.

For a nation without an established religion there seem to be a lot of genuflecting and hands over heart along with other non-secular customs to put the lie to that claim.

[Crunchy Frog]

1. Trashing. nt

[Ocelot II]

2. "Sacred" doesn't necessarily refer to something with religious meaning.

Other dictionary definitions of the word are "entitled to reverence and respect" and "highly valued and important." https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacred So that use of the word to apply to secular concepts like democracy is entirely appropriate.

[NotANeocon]

3. You think so?

I see it as ignorant, lazy, and vocabulary challenged because the religious continually overrides the secular in the country "without established religion".

[Ocelot II]

4. I didn't write the dictionary. Those are common and accepted usages

and I see no nefarious connection with religion in this respect. There are bigger fish to fry re: religion interfering in secular society.

[NotANeocon]

8. Of course there are bigger fish

But don't ignore the camel's nose inside the tent because you know what that leads to.

[tblue37]

17. It leads to camel snot all over everything.

[Sympthsical]

12. Sacred has always had a secular use in modern English

It really just means revered, important, respected.

Seems an odd bugaboo to have.

Our democracy should be sacred. That's why we have to fight so hard to keep it.

[NotANeocon]

13. Hmmm

It really just means revered, important, respected.

Actually it does'nt. check the etymology. It refers to something set apart for god or the gods.

Our democracy should be sacred

So treat it like sky fairies and superstitions? I think such a concept deserves more universal admiration and acceptance.

[Claire Oh Nette]

15. sacred does not sacrosant

DC is sacred ground *for American Democracy* just like Augusta is for golfers. The highest and most revered, not just religious based.
There are other words for that distinction.

I'd argue when Biden and Harris lit up the Reflection Pool the night before inauguration in remembrance of the 300,000 dead from covid, they sanctified the Capitol grounds by making it a memorial, not a church.

[Sympthsical]

16. You're reading this in a very strange way

I mean, you're just blatantly denying that the word has been use in a secular context for a very long time.

I don't know what to say to that. You're wrong?

[tritsofme]

5. How does using the word "sacred" or putting your hand over your heart at an appropriate time

constitute an establishment of religion? What an incredibly silly thread.

[Beastly Boy]

6. You may be familiar with a popular Soviet era revolutionary song titled "The Warszawyanka"

If a refresher is needed, here is an excerpt:

Но мы подымем гордо и смело
Знамя борьбы за рабочее дело,
Знамя великой борьбы всех народов
За лучший мир, за святую свободу.

На бой кровавый,
Святой и правый
Марш, марш вперед,
Рабочий народ.

Which roughly translates to:

But we will rise proudly and boldly
The banner of the struggle for the labor cause,
Banner of the great struggle of all peoples
For a better world, for sacred freedom.

To the bloody battle,
Holy and righteous
March, march forward
Working people.

So you can see that words like "sacred", "holy" and "righteous" are not necessarily surreptitiously religious. Not even in their Google Translate English version.

[NotANeocon]

7. Depends who translates -

and also who it is translated for.

[Beastly Boy]

9. From Polish to Russian or from Russian to English?

The latter, as I mentioned, was done by Google Translate.

But translatory nuances, disputable or not, are not my point. My point is that one can find words in any language that, being originally used in the context of a religion, are not exclusive to it.

[rsdsharp]

10. What law did Congress pass, and the President sign

establishing a religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Your complaint seems to be directed at the use of certain words by journalists, and actions by private citizens. Neither of those groups are covered by that aspect of the First Amendment, nor any other for that matter.

The First Amendment prohibits conduct by the government.

[NotANeocon]

11. Precisely!

Just like the 10 recommendations - writing constitutional suggestions has no effect if the ho polloi ignore them -

[Ms. Toad]

14. Thank you.

I was restraining my itchy typing fingers until I skimmed the responses to see if anyone else had a clue about the 1st amendment.

[jcgoldie]

18. ...