On Church/State Separation and the "Christians under attack" debate...

[Solon]

One thing I noticed on the threads about this, and this happens damn near everytime during Christmas/Solstice/Yule, is this red herring about Christians being persecuted. One thing I do notice is that many Christians have a funny way of saying they are attacked by the "opposition". Atheists will say to Christians that what they believe is myth and fantasy. This is percieved by most Christians as an attack on their religion, I do not understand this at all, they and many Christians would say the same for my religious beliefs, yet I do not percieve that as an attack on my religion unless they actually try to ban it through government action.

The thing that seems to go over many people's heads is this, that is exactly what Atheists believe, or not, as the case may be. :) This is not to say that Atheists haven't been equally guilty in the same regard, especially to preachiness that is just as annoying as televangelists. Oversensitivity on both sides abounds, from the most recent thread about wanting to have the freedom to "avoid" religion from Atheists, to the percieved attacks against Christians as noted above. A fact for Atheists, you cannot avoid the majority religion in the United States, not entirely, and it cannot be legislated away either. As for Christians, you cannot make Atheists or Religious Minorities disappear either, so find a way to deal with your neighbors in an amicable way, please?

All that Church and State separation means is that the Government in its various forms is to remain neutral in regards to religious subjects. Is it perfect? No of course not, but it is much better than most other ways of dealing with religious freedom. Problems come about when both sides dig in their heels and refuse to see what they wrought with their own stubbornness. For example, the flamefests around here are infectious, look at my own thread, I'm probably going to be plummeled by both sides of the debate, as it were. :)

Atheists aren't trying to force Christians to remove their crosses from their homes, or from their churches. Only a small minority of Christians wish to actually force atheists to bow in prayer to their God. Now, onto this whole fiasco that a small group of agitents created about the attack on Christmas. Let me put it this way, it is forbidden for the Government to take sides in this as a matter of Constitutional law. If someone putting a nativity scene in front of City Hall, on public property, without using public funds, but with the City's approval, violated that law if and only if, they did it at the exclusion of all other religions that celebrate the holiday season.

However, if they have no restrictions on such displays sponsored by citizens of all faiths or lack thereof, then it would be Constitutional. The problem arises out of practicality more than anything else, the City Hall's lawn can become awfully crowded with such a law taking effect. That is probably the only reason why it is a bad idea to allow such displays on public property, because of the practicality issue. Yet we also have the right to free expression, and as such, there are little to no restrictions on putting such scenes on you OWN property.

I personally feel that this issue is blown out of proportion by Christians, most of all the right wing fundies, who have an general ignorance of Constitutional law.

[NVMojo]

1. the more I get "christians" shoved at me with their "moral values" the

more I don't want to have anything to do with them cuz their "values" are immoral in my world.