NOTICE: I do not pray!

[jeff47]

143. Again, you just don't like the implications of your argument

I'm not arguing in favor of majority rule. I'm simply pointing out that most of the people in this country are religious, so first and foremost, people shouldn't feel all whiny and ass-sore whenever there is a public expression of it

Just like most people in this country were against interracial marriage, so that stupid Loving couple shouldn't have been all whiny when there was public expression against it.

And that Martin Luther King Jr. guy should have not been all whiny about civil rights - the majority liked Jim Crow.

Religion is part of our culture. I am an atheist but I accept this fact. I pick battles that MATTER.

All of them matter. Because when you make an exception here, you have to explain why it's OK here and not OK when it's in a classroom, or any other place where you do care about freedom of religion.

My ex went to school in the 80s in TN. The practice at that school was for a student to read a "saying of the day" over the intercom every morning. The student got to read any saying that was on a strip of paper in a particular box. Totally by coincidence, all of the sayings were from the bible. Students could not bring in their own sayings, even if they sought pre-approval.

This was LOOOOOONG after the SCOTUS had ruled many times that such behavior violated the separation of church and state, yet it continued because the majority of the parents felt it was wonderful to bring the bible into the school.

I bring that up for two reasons: First, this battle against constant violations of separation of church and state is still very much on-going. And second, when you say it's OK to break that separation here, you say it's OK to break that separation anywhere else. Because our laws must be applied consistently.

Secondly, its a RIGHT for people to be able to peacefully and publically express their religion.

Sure, as long as it doesn't appear that the government is endorsing one religion. The inauguration failed that test, in that it had official Christian prayers for the opening and closing of the ceremony.

People here who are trying to shut down notions of religious freedom are anti-progressive.

You're free to practice any religion you want. You are not free to have the government endorse your religion by including your religion's prayers in a government function. If you want to talk about anti-progressive, talk about the phrase "we're a Christian country".