Comments on: The First Amendment of the United States Constitution http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:19:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Jeff http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10609 Jeff Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:10:09 +0000 http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10609 I believe that under the First Amendment a person of any faith, including but not limited Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, and even Satanic should have access to public facilities to hold meetings. The only limitation that should be present is if the meeting is not a peaceful meeting. The idea that all groups should be forced out of public facilities is against the First Amendment. Our Constitution protects those rights, but current interpretation is reading it to mean the opposite of what it is intended to say. I agree that faith starts with the family, but this still does not give the government, schools, or any other publicly funded body the right to prevent the free exercise of religion on their property unless it can be shown that the group is not meeting peacefully. I believe that under the First Amendment a person of any faith, including but not limited Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, and even Satanic should have access to public facilities to hold meetings. The only limitation that should be present is if the meeting is not a peaceful meeting. The idea that all groups should be forced out of public facilities is against the First Amendment. Our Constitution protects those rights, but current interpretation is reading it to mean the opposite of what it is intended to say.

I agree that faith starts with the family, but this still does not give the government, schools, or any other publicly funded body the right to prevent the free exercise of religion on their property unless it can be shown that the group is not meeting peacefully.

]]> By: FallenKnight http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10437 FallenKnight Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:59:33 +0000 http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10437 I believe it's a case of the path of least resistance. By that I mean, since they have to grant everyone the same access to school property, they deny access to all religious groups because they feel that gives everyone equal access, meaning none at all. The problem as I see it is this: if a school were to give time & room to a christian group, then they are obligated by law to give the same consideration to a group of satanists, wiccans, druids, etc. You know as well as I do that someone would file a ridiculous lawsuit somewhere along the lines, the media would sensationalize the "plight" of those poor downtrodden satanists or whatever, and they would get a million times more publicity than they ordinarily would. A lot of people argue that if religious prayer is that important, why not get the family up 10 minutes earlier and gather for a prayer at home to start the day? And I tend to agree, because I see religion as a deeply personal matter, not lawsuit fodder. Let's face it, there will be prayer in school anyway, as long as there are tests! I believe it’s a case of the path of least resistance. By that I mean, since they have to grant everyone the same access to school property, they deny access to all religious groups because they feel that gives everyone equal access, meaning none at all.

The problem as I see it is this: if a school were to give time & room to a christian group, then they are obligated by law to give the same consideration to a group of satanists, wiccans, druids, etc. You know as well as I do that someone would file a ridiculous lawsuit somewhere along the lines, the media would sensationalize the “plight” of those poor downtrodden satanists or whatever, and they would get a million times more publicity than they ordinarily would.

A lot of people argue that if religious prayer is that important, why not get the family up 10 minutes earlier and gather for a prayer at home to start the day? And I tend to agree, because I see religion as a deeply personal matter, not lawsuit fodder.

Let’s face it, there will be prayer in school anyway, as long as there are tests!

]]> By: Jeff http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10421 Jeff Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:47:22 +0000 http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10421 The Government should not be able to dictate to a student that they are unable to pray in a school or other government building. That a student should not be able to bring a Bible to school. That a student can not hold a Bible Study among fellow students on school grounds. These are individuals exercising their freedom of religion. All of these things are currently happening in America today. Not everywhere but it is happening. I agree that the Government should not be forcing prayer in school, should not be forcing the Bible to be read in school, or forcing students to assemble to study the Bible. But they should also not be forcing students to not be able to do these things. A growing idea is that simply by allowing Christians to express their faith in a government paid structure is 'forcing religion on others' or 'Government establishing religion', when it is actually allowing the freedom of the individual to express their faith and to assemble peacefully. Some schools have outlawed students from speaking about their religious beliefs or praying if they speak at a graduation ceremony or other ceremonial event on school property. Some schools do not allow Christian groups to assemble for 'religious purposes' on school grounds before or after school because of their concerns regarding the separation of Church and State. Congress has not made any laws as of yet officially prohibiting these things, but a growing number of people are understanding the First Amendment improperly and are prohibiting the individuals right to their freedom of religion. I am concerned about the direction our country is going in, simply by the population not understanding the First Amendment of our Constitution, largely due to misinformation and improper education of what Separation of Church and State actually mean. The Government should not be able to dictate to a student that they are unable to pray in a school or other government building. That a student should not be able to bring a Bible to school. That a student can not hold a Bible Study among fellow students on school grounds. These are individuals exercising their freedom of religion. All of these things are currently happening in America today. Not everywhere but it is happening. I agree that the Government should not be forcing prayer in school, should not be forcing the Bible to be read in school, or forcing students to assemble to study the Bible. But they should also not be forcing students to not be able to do these things. A growing idea is that simply by allowing Christians to express their faith in a government paid structure is ‘forcing religion on others’ or ‘Government establishing religion’, when it is actually allowing the freedom of the individual to express their faith and to assemble peacefully. Some schools have outlawed students from speaking about their religious beliefs or praying if they speak at a graduation ceremony or other ceremonial event on school property. Some schools do not allow Christian groups to assemble for ‘religious purposes’ on school grounds before or after school because of their concerns regarding the separation of Church and State. Congress has not made any laws as of yet officially prohibiting these things, but a growing number of people are understanding the First Amendment improperly and are prohibiting the individuals right to their freedom of religion. I am concerned about the direction our country is going in, simply by the population not understanding the First Amendment of our Constitution, largely due to misinformation and improper education of what Separation of Church and State actually mean.

]]> By: FallenKnight http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10420 FallenKnight Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:22:06 +0000 http://www.thebristows.com/blog/government/the-first-amendment-of-the-united-states-constitution#comment-10420 While I agree with most of your assessment of the First Amendment, you fail to validate your point on statement #2. "This should certainly include our right to pray, even publicly, and in a structure built with U.S Tax Dollars." No one ever said you couldn't pray wherever you like, including public schools. The issue of prayer in schools amounts to a government mandate for prayer in school being equivalent to a State-sanctioned religion, which the First Amendment is designed to avoid. Unlike the bible, the U.S. Constitution does not contradict itself, is not worded vaguely so as to be adapted to personal taste, and very distinct in outlining what the government can and cannot do. You can't pick and choose passages from the Constitution to justify selfish, mysoginistic, bigoted or violent actions like you can with the bible. While I agree with most of your assessment of the First Amendment, you fail to validate your point on statement #2.

“This should certainly include our right to pray, even publicly, and in a structure built with U.S Tax Dollars.”
No one ever said you couldn’t pray wherever you like, including public schools. The issue of prayer in schools amounts to a government mandate for prayer in school being equivalent to a State-sanctioned religion, which the First Amendment is designed to avoid.

Unlike the bible, the U.S. Constitution does not contradict itself, is not worded vaguely so as to be adapted to personal taste, and very distinct in outlining what the government can and cannot do.

You can’t pick and choose passages from the Constitution to justify selfish, mysoginistic, bigoted or violent actions like you can with the bible.

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