The point was freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. We all have the right to express our religion in our own way, as long as there is no harm done to others, or their rights are not imposed upon. We have the right to tell you we think you're going to hell if you don't believe in Jesus. You have the right to tell us we're full of it if you don't believe it. We have the right to pray to whoever we want, wherever we want. You have the right not to participate. You don't have the right to make us stop because you are not like-minded. The minority was never to rule over the majority. Likewise, the majority can't take away the rights of the minority. Of course, this all should be tempered with common sense. And, that is the whole problem; common sense has gone out the window. The english language has always been the national language. To keep it as such just makes more sense than making everyone learning every other language. It should be taught in all US schools. If a community is highly ethnic, a second language is acceptable, as long as it's understood that english is the common denominator. The minority desires to impose their morality on the majority. Whether you're a fundamentalist Christian, or a pro-choice, vegetarian PETA activist, you have no right to force your morality (or a lack thereof) on anyone else. However, if the majority sees fit to elect a pro-lifer to the white house, then maybe that is what the majority wants, and the way our system works! If you don't like it, organize a drive to get your type of people to vote. This is our right as Americans. The problem with all this is that people always want to do what is in their best interest, over the interests of everyone else. I agree- cultural sensitivity is a good thing. Catering to a minority of any kind isn't. Censorship in the name of sensitivity is bad. Censorship to protect young ears and eyes from adult concepts is a good thing. We need to protect innocense at all costs. There is enough time after childhood to form their own ideas. They shouldn't have to make these decisions before then. This applies for God in school (as imposed by teachers- students still should have the right to express their beliefs and openly discuss them) as well as evolutionary science and humanism being taught as fact, instead of a theory. This is a common sense and fair approach. We also have the right to speak out against our government, without being forced to leave the country. The right to bear arms is for that exact intent- to keep our government from taking over. It's part of our heritage to express ourselves when we feel we are not being represented fairly. This country is what we, the people, make it. We are the ones who will ultimately pay for our decisions, good or bad. That said, it's our right and responsibility to speak out for what we believe, and let the chips fall as they may. ________ CHEVROLET ADVANCE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS
novels... I Find It Amazing How This Piece Is Translated Into A Religious Dispute. Maybe That Is A Poor Perception On My Part, But I Just Did Not Take The Article That Way. In Absorbing The Whole Message, The Jist Of It To Me Was On Being An American. I'm Proud To See All Of Us Motorheads Have The Ability To Be So Insightful, But In Review Most Commentary Focuses On The God/religion Part, And I Never Would Have Taken It That Way. I Realize That It Is Part Of It, But I'm Surprised Just How Sensitive It Is. I Just See It For What It Is, On Being An American. I Guess I'm So Busy With My Car And Life In General I Don't Have Time To Question Religions, Races, Offending People, All That Crap. Our Founding Fathers Were Busy Too, Too Busy Being Craftman And Labors To Create The Country We Live In. The Battles They Fought Were For Freedom, Not For Acceptance Of Someone's Agenda Or Personal Beliefs. Perhaps We Should All Be So Occupied, Then Maybe We Wouldn't Offend Anyone. :tu:
Doesn't that basically equate to "free to practice any religion they want" which includes no religion itself? It was a good starting point, but (hopefully) we'll move on.
Among the Indians there have been no written laws. Customs handed down from generation to generation have been the only laws to guide them. Every one might act different from what was considered right did he choose to do so, but such acts would bring upon him the censure of the Nation.... This fear of the Nation's censure acted as a mighty band, binding all in one social, honorable compact. George Copway (Kah-ge-ga-bowh) Ojibwa Chief 1818-1863 "If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace.....Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow. All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers. The Earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it.......Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade....where I choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself, and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty." From Chief Joseph, Nez Perces' "Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library and its books were the stones, leaves, grass, brooks and the birds and animals that shared, alike with us, the storms and blessings of the earth. We learn to do what only the student of nature ever learns, and that is to feel beauty. We never rail at the storms, the furious winds, the biting frosts and snows. To do so intensifies human futility, so whatever comes we should adjust ourselves by more effort and energy if necessary, but without complaint. Bright days and dark days are both expressions of the Great Mystery, and the Indian reveled in being close the Great Holiness." Chief Luther Standing Bear "How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right." Black Hawk, Sauk "The Indian survived our open intention of wiping them out. And since the tide turned they have even weathered our good intentions toward them, which can be more deadly." ~ John Steinbeck....American and Americans ~ "Traditional people of Indian nations have interpreted the two roads that face the light-skinned race as the road to technology and the road to spirituality. We feel that the road to technology.... has led modern society to a damaged and seared earth. Could it be that the road to technology represents a rush to destruction, and that the road to spirituality represents the slower path that the traditional native people have traveled and are now seeking again? The earth is not scorched on this trail. The grass is still growing there." William Commanda, Mamiwinini, Canada, 1991 "Respect means listening until everyone has been heard and understood, only then is there a possibility of "Balance and Harmony" the goal of Indian Spirituality." Dave Chief, Grandfather of Red Dog Kici mitawa tiwahe. Patrick
The point is, there is a difference between an immigrant and someone who sneaks across the border and applies for goverment assistance the next day. If you want to live in america, great. follow the rules and become a legal citizen like my great grandparents did. It may be a lot harder and longer process now but thats the price you pay to live in this great country. brad.
I'm getting confused here. How can christians have a monopoly on "God"? What about the jewish faith? Christmas is in December because the church wanted an easy way to trump the pagan solstice holiday. No one knows exactly when Christ was born.
I believe, but not exactly sure that the Torah was originally in Hebrew, and some other word is used.
Yep - I think it was an Egyptian sun-god. Similar things happened with Easter and All Saints Day. (However, the Jewish god and Christian god (and Muslim) are the same. They all come from the same original teaching/beliefs.)
