If you are Jewish, Israel is a Jewish state. If you are Muslim, there are many Islamic states. If you are godless, California and New York are godless states.
As for the reason God should be called upon during government functions, any government leader, who is a member of the three Abrahamic religions, would want God's blessing on their leadership efforts. This is a Constitutional right that government is presently suppressing.
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Israel is a secular state and many Muslim countries, such as the one where I live, do not have an established religion. You know, just like the United States of America. There is a difference between the religious affiliation of the people and the state and the First Amendment makes it quite plain that, however religious its people might be, the United States as a state does not identify with any religion. Government leaders are free to invoke whatever deity they wish in their own time, but not in the name of the state; that's what the Constitution says. If you want to live in a country with an established church, then go and live in England or Denmark.
They have every right to pray to their god for guidance before they leave home to go to work. As a parent you have every right to pray with your children before they leave for school. However, you DO NOT have e right, even and implied right, to waste time my taxes are paying for or subject my children to prayers to your god.
Get it now?
Apart from the bit about godless states, this doesn't strike me as particularly fundie. Because indeed, if a politician wants to pray, then that IS their constitutional right. Or am I reading it wrong? Is he saying that everybody ought to be forced to pray at government functions, or something?
Any individual leader can believe in whoever s/he wants. That's not an issue. What's at issue is using taxpayer money to give Christianity a public endorsement, which is very much against the Constitution's first amendment. How would you feel if a president was using his position of power to try to spread the message of Islam?
"If you are Jewish, Israel is a Jewish state. If you are Muslim, there are many Islamic states"
...and since there is Hell in California, Michigan, and in Montana, your country [i]isn't[/i] Christian.
...oh, and as for that part of said US Constitution, you're clearly redefining that too. Fact is, it basically says that whilst the government doesn't tell people who/how to worship, equally those same religious people don't have the fucking right to tell the government how to run the country.
I'm not even American, yet - in history lessons at school - I learned enough about the US Constitution to know that .
It says so much about a sizeable proportion of a country's population, when those outside said country knows more about the very basis of their country than said 'population'.
@Doubting Thomas, Mister Spak
Otherwise, what was the point of the Revolutionary War? Oh wait...!
"This is a Constitutional right that government is presently suppressing."
You know what? Every single person in the US has the right to call on whatever deity they want, for whatever they want. They do not have the right to use the government to do it, or use the government to make other people do it.
So, pray if you want. Just not on my time and not on my dime. And don't complain when someone prays to a god you don't believe in.
This is a Constitutional right that government is presently suppressing.
U.S. Constitutuion: Amendment 1
This is a Constitutional right that government is presently suppressing.
Yep, it says in the 1st Amendment about how Congress shall establish a religion... dunno which Countries constitution it's in though, 'cos it sure ain't in the US one.
And if I want to burn a sheep on an altar as a live sacrifice before the opening of Congress, to create a pleasant aroma for the Lord, that should be allowed, too!
"If you are godless, California and New York are godless states." Christians are in the majority in both California and New York state.
Their governments just aren't forcing it down the non-Christian's throats. (Which, apparently, is what the state governments do in the Bible Belt.)
If you are from anywhere, Israel is a Jewish state.
Living in California, I can assure you California is chock-full of Christians and their churches.
Calling upon a deity in government sponsored events pushes the establishment clause as it assumes the existence of a deity, an invention of religion. You have a responsibility assigned to you not to favor a religion over any other religion or no religion at all.
Proof positive that governments are able to thwart Bible God quite easily. Perhaps the invisibility function drains His energy too much, leaving Him powerless, and speechless. No wonder He's always cloud lounging.
@Dionysus
How would you feel if a president was using his position of power to try to spread the message of Islam?
I'd bet $5 that JFSEB believes that the President really is using his office to spread Islam.
@gravematter
The UK is a funny place; it's all one country but only England has a state church.
@Hasan: Actually, it's funnier; the United Kingdom is a single state composed of four countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), one of which has a "state religion". It's kind of an inversion of the situation in the United States or Australia, in which a single country is composed of several united, partially-independent states.
And we'd just best not mention how they can be composed of various numbers and sizes of nations too...
@OP: If you really want to pray for blessings, do so in private... You know, the way both the government and Jesus instruct. I didn't bother to check if you're Christian, but I really don't care. I'm pretty sure you don't get paid to pray either way.
Actually, that is patently unconstitutional . Go back and read The Constitution. This time, actually pay attention to the Establishment Clausethat is, assuming you've actually read The Constitution in the first place, which for some reason, I strongly doubtthen get back with us.
@aebars
Is he saying that everybody ought to be forced to pray at government functions, or something?
I think it's pretty clear that's what he's saying. Not only that, but he's mistaken in believing that it's a Constitutional right to force religion into government functions.
Israel is a Jewish State whether "you" are a Jew or not. And since California and New York are American states, they are not supposed to have ANY religious affiliation, neither for nor against.
And if any government leader feels he or she cannot do their job without a blessing from the Invisible Sky Daddy, he or she should resign right now.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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