V00: >...This country was founded with God as its backer >and you don't have a chance in hell of ever >changing that... Even if you're wrong and God doesn't exist? ... Even *then* we don't have a chance in hell of ever changing that? LOL JB
Exactly, how very true Thunderdog. couldn't agree more. When there is a question about praying, timing
And when a religion holds the belief that the only way for rain is to dance, and they teach generation after generation that this is the way they are to deal with making water for crops, then it will be what the people do. But if that religion does not allow their people the opportunity or freedom to have knowledge of other ways to gather water, than this is putting them at a disadvantage becasue they could learn about reservoirs, but are restricted from doing so. It is also against the constituition. American Indians do not do this, they don't hold back their people from listening or seeing another way of life. But some religions do. And they justify doing so by saying it is the word of the prophet. Ok, I won't change your thread from its original discussion anymore. Turok, you do understand.
What if you were Muslim and they ended a prayer in school with, "In Jesus's name?" Or if you were a Hindu or Buddhist? The fairest and most efficient thing to do is to NOT have prayer in school. There is no generic prayer considering the dissimilarities between the various gods.
This need for prayer in school will always be argued. Why not give 10 minutes of time during the day for those who wish to pray. This will give everyone a choice to pray, or not to pray. All the ones who wish to pray will be asked to pray in silence so to respect other people praying to thier god who is different than the god they prey to. For those who do not pray to a god, they can do homework, or read a book of their choice during the 10 minutes.
I've always thought that this was an excellent solution ... perhaps only a minute or two rather than ten, but the same idea. JB
Yes, everyone would be allowed to practice waht makes them feel content. Maybe too much time I asked for? That would be another big debate, but so waht, closer to the goal.
"There is no generic prayer considering the dissimilarities between the various gods." If I say "One nation, under God..." What religion am I? Am I Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist (unlikely Buddhist as they are atheistic). In the 60's it was written on a wall in London that "Clapton is God." Larry Bird following the 63 point performance by Michael Jordan in a playoff game said: ""He is the most exciting, awesome player in the game today. I think it's just God disguised as Michael Jordan." What religion was it that Bird was referring to? When Einstein said: "God does not play dice with the universe." What religion was Einstein speaking of? The word God in the English Language is absolutely generic, and requires a qualifier for someone hearing a person say "I believe in God" to determine what particular religion someone is referring to when they say the word God...So the word God is generic, and allows people to interpret it any way they wish. Atheists can think and believe whatever they like when they hear the word God. No one is being forced to believe anything. Atheists hear the word God all the time, yet they are not immediately converted to a belief in God simply because they hear the word God, or heard someone say they believe in God. In fact, if everyone were forced to say "I believe in God" because there were a gun pointed at their head, that would not mean they were actually being forced to belief in God, or that they did believe in God because they said it. There are Americans who don't really believe that there is freedom and justice for all in America. There are some who believe that there should not be freedom and justice for all. Should they be forced to say the pledge which is making an affirmative statement which goes against their personal beliefs that there is not freedom and justice for all in America, or that there should be freedom and justice for all when they don't believe that? Should they dictate that others who are in the majority not say the pledge in schools because they don't believe there is freedom and justice for all or they don't believe there should be freedom and justice for all? The point is that someone is bound to be offended by any particular statement that affirms something that is subject to opinion and personal belief. Part of living in a society is just accepting the conventions that are meaningless to the person who doesn't believe in them. Say someone detests when people say to him "Have a nice day." Does that mean that we should prevent them from saying it, or believing it...because someone is offended by that comment? At a sporting even between a Canadian team and the US, they often play the national anthem of both Canada and the US. Should Canadians be forced to hear our national anthem? Should Americans be forced to hear the Canadian national anthem, even when they are in the majority at the ball park or arena? Should we as Americans be forced to listen to the national anthem of the country which is represented by the winner at an Olympic event? Should a Michigan fan attending a Michigan vs. Ohio State game in Columbus be forced to hear the Ohio State Fight song? (I am not saying there should be prayer in school, I am suggesting your argument is not a sound argument against prayer in school.)
You are religion itself. You are a strong belief in a supernatural power , a deity, which controls human destiny. "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."Blaise Pascal