Another blow to Freedom of Religion could come from an unexpected source on Monday- the Michael Jackson trial. Jackson could be convicted of serving alcohol to a minor and sentenced to 12 months in prison on this count alone. Now, I'm not saying he shouldn't be punished for sex crimes against children, but a conviction for giving kids wine is a dangerous precedent. Does anyone know what Kiddish is? Every Saturday morning, in synagogues across America, a blessing is recited over hard liquor, and the booze is provided to all congregates- even elementary school children. Non-Jews are probably unaware that this goes on, because the kids drink as much as they want, and *surprise* nothing bad ever happens.
How do you know nothing bad ever happens? In any case, it is the context of the administration of alcohol to minors that is at issue. I don't recall the Jacko defense being: "Jacko liquored these boys up as part of his and the boy's religious practices and belief system." Maybe that is what happened, maybe it was quite "spiritual" for Jacko to liquor these kids up and then perhaps fondle them, etc. However, that is not the defense he pleaded, so it is a moot point you bring up.
___________________________ Cassandra Complex, again. They even picked a nice Orwellian name for it, just like I thought they would... From the Washington Post: "In March, the House passed the <b>Children's Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act.</b> Under the broad-ranging bill, DNA profiles provided voluntarily, for example, in a dragnet, would for the first time become a permanent part of the national database. People arrested would lose the right to expunge their samples if they were exonerated or charges were dropped. And the government could take DNA from citizens not arrested but simply detained." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/02/AR2006060201648_pf.html