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Originally posted by Fry2
As I have said before
All organized religion should be banned, worldwide.
Originally posted by Fry2
It sure would limit these so called "leaders" of whatever religion initiating things such as Crusades, Intifadas and Jihads.
Would it not?
Originally posted by ViperFreak
Two things will put me into an immediate furious rage. One of them is sexual abuse...the other would be a man beating a woman or child. If I were to witness either of those acts, I garuntee you the outcome would not be pretty...
Originally posted by Skadi_the_Evil_Elf
Sorry guys, the constitution that you think gives you the right to push your religion to the state bans just that. Seperation of Church and state. Period.
Originally posted by ViperFreak
How are you viewing the separation of church and state? I think I said it before, but I'll say it again in case I didn't.
When I was taking my government class in high-school, we spent about a month and a half on the constitution. We read every word, broke down every point, memorized parts, and defined the terms as they would originally be interpreted when the Constitution was drafted and approved.
If you follow your history, the separation of church and state was to keep the STATE from controlling the CHURCH.
It had happened in England when their government told them that they could only go to the Church of England and practice it's doctrines.
That is where the term "Separatists" was coined. They were 'separating' themselves from England and it's established church.
In order to prevent this from happening in America, it was written and sealed in the Constitution that it would be unlawful for the government of the United States of America to support one religion over another, forcing it's citizens to attend one and only one church. That is where you get your freedom to believe whatever doctrine you wish. It was not, however, to keep the influence of the church out of the government.
I garuntee you that this is the way it was originally intended to be interpreted.
Now through the course of events, we have allowed the Supreme Court to have their way with the Constitution and fall away from it's original meaning and intent. They took it as far as to say that the CHURCH must be separated from the STATE. They twisted the intended interpetation to mean the exact opposite of the original meaning. In its entirety, the separation of church and state was obviously to give people religious freedom.
Originally posted by ViperFreak
The statement about a wall of separation between church and state was made in a letter on January 1, 1802, by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. The congregation heard a widespread rumor that the Congregationalists, another denomination, were to become the national religion. This was very alarming to people who knew about religious persecution in England by the state established church. Jefferson made it clear in his letter to the Danbury Congregation that the separation was to be that government would not establish a national religion or dictate to men how to worship God. Jefferson's letter from which the phrase "separation of church and state" was taken affirmed first amendment rights. Jefferson wrote:
I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. (1)