Dare I interject?
Hello again. Being new here, and not knowing all the posters yet, I will tread lightly.
I have only read the last twenty or so posts, and am not sure if I have the 'intellectual debate skills' to participate, but I'd like to give it a try...
Firstly, it's interesting that this current discussion is about the two very largest 'taboos' in this society. Never talk about RELIGION OR POLITICS!
(Egads, here is a board talking about BOTH...all at the same time.)
Allow me to throw my 'persective hat' into the ring.
The gist of what I have read tonight is whether Public Schools should allow prayer (or at least DISCUSSION of religious questions in class, to the best I can currently discern.)
Being old enough to understand the history of 'Religion' in the United States School System, having lived through the 'Christian Prayer' as part of the Morning Ritual at Grade School, and the impact in my mind regarding it, I hold many thoughts about the subject. However, whether one takes one side or the other on this very issue is largely a moot point, IMHO.
There is a specificity to the United States Constitution that demanded the seperation of Church and State. To me, that means that what the 'STATE' offers to the citizens should in no way include religion. A simple thought, yet potent as it relates to the 'intent' of our forefathers.
Much like "FREEDOM OF SPEECH", "FREEDOM OF RELIGION" was one of the very building blocks of this Great United States. Although the founding fathers intended to be true to the word of the intent, it is my opinion that the ensuing decades since 'Independence' did indeed allow a convoluting of the original intent of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
"SOCIETY", in and of itself, is a strange creature. We all tend to 'do' what we are 'taught'. It's a Human Instinct, yet we fail to be taught the very premise our founding fathers attempted to teach us all.
The lesson was very simple. It is we who have made it a complex issue. Our forefathers adapted this stance of seperation of Church and State specifically to attempt to avoid the current discussion that I read on this board tonight.
As I read from a poster here, the words are true...
'We hold these truths to be SELF EVIDENT. That all men are created EQUAL.'
Summarily, the religious beliefs of an individual are not of a political nature in ANY stretch of the 'TRUTH'. All of us, yes .....YOU, are a 'man' created equal in the eyes of the government of the United States. Your religion or your VERY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS hold no viability as it relates to the totallity of the freedoms that were defined by our forefathers.
The premise IS the FREEDOM. There is no point in debating who is right or wrong here.
Thanks for letting me post my views. As I suspect, let the compliments and arguments begin.
Godspeed.
