Quote:First century Christians were repulsed by the thought of having to worship the Roman emperor as a god, so it is beyond me to know why they would have ever felt that any State religion should be compulsory?Funny how people get these different ideas when it's their religion that's in power...
Quote:Although, I would say that many are confused still in what that means. For example, children are allowed to pray in school, however the school cannot compel students to pray. The US Constitution allows for any citizen to engage in expressions of their religious faith and no law can be made that curtails that right. There is a case currently in the courts where a public schools cheerleaders make a banner for the football players to crash through which frequently has religious expression on it. It is clearly not a school sanctioned activity, so restricting it would be a violation of those students "free exercise".School sports events, with school teams, school cheerleading squads, school coaches, school everything, are somehow not "school sanctioned activities"? I don't get it. If the cheerleaders and football players want to get together on their own time and make neato Touchdowns for Jesus banners, all power to them, but if they're a school team, at school events, they should keep religion out of it. (Or rather more forcefully - they are constitutionally obligated to keep religion out of it.)
Quote:In general, I do see a trend where people and governments are moving to bar people from free expression. Religious organizations are routinely being coerced or prosecuted for adhering to their belief systems.Funny how they usually seem to be prosecuted for "adhering to their belief systems" when that involves denying everyone else's rights. Like you say - abortion (denying women that right) "traditional" marriage and gay rights (denying rights to gays). It's very handy to have a state that has historically upheld the beliefs of one's own dogma - how difficult it must be to have to have that comforting protection stripped away in favour of people you think are sinners - but thankfully, sin is not a legal category.
-Jester