Changes

::::::::::The point, Philip is that the US is not a majority rule nation.  We're a democratic republic, not a simple democracy, and moreover the Constitution and Bill of Rights exist to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.  Just because Christianity is the primary religion (though no single sect holds anything close to a majority) doesn't mean that others shouldn't be free to practice their religion as they see fit and remain free from being influenced by government to choose a different religion, or indeed simply a different way of practicing the same religion.  [[User:SSchultz|SSchultz]] 22:39, 4 March 2008 (EST)

::::::::::The point, Philip is that the US is not a majority rule nation.  We're a democratic republic, not a simple democracy, and moreover the Constitution and Bill of Rights exist to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.  Just because Christianity is the primary religion (though no single sect holds anything close to a majority) doesn't mean that others shouldn't be free to practice their religion as they see fit and remain free from being influenced by government to choose a different religion, or indeed simply a different way of practicing the same religion.  [[User:SSchultz|SSchultz]] 22:39, 4 March 2008 (EST)

::::::::::: I've never suggested that others should not be free to practice their religion.  That's a red herring.  And neither have I said that the government should explicitly influence someone to change their religion.  But that's a different issue to whether or not they should remain totally neutral on matters of religion, simply because it is ''not possible'' to be totally neutral.  "Religion" goes to the heart of the basis of one's values, etc.  A government governs on the basis of values, such as right and wrong, and it is religious views that are the basis of those values.  If a government is not basing its values on a ''theistic'' religion such as Christianity, then they are basing them on an ''atheistic'' religion such as humanism.  In other words, they have simply replaced one religion for another.  And this is what has happened in western countries:  They have replaced Christianity, the basis for western civilisation and which is still implicitly recognised in the United States with things like the motto on the coins and the references to the Creator in the Declaration of Independence, with humanism, and now teach tenets of humanism in their schools.  And at the same time, have ''restricted'' the freedom of others "to practice their religion as they see fit".  [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 00:55, 5 March 2008 (EST)

::::::::::: I've never suggested that others should not be free to practice their religion.  That's a red herring.  And neither have I said that the government should explicitly influence someone to change their religion.  But that's a different issue to whether or not they should remain totally neutral on matters of religion, simply because it is ''not possible'' to be totally neutral.  "Religion" goes to the heart of the basis of one's values, etc.  A government governs on the basis of values, such as right and wrong, and it is religious views that are the basis of those values.  If a government is not basing its values on a ''theistic'' religion such as Christianity, then they are basing them on an ''atheistic'' religion such as humanism.  In other words, they have simply replaced one religion for another.  And this is what has happened in western countries:  They have replaced Christianity, the basis for western civilisation and which is still implicitly recognised in the United States with things like the motto on the coins and the references to the Creator in the Declaration of Independence, with humanism, and now teach tenets of humanism in their schools.  And at the same time, have ''restricted'' the freedom of others "to practice their religion as they see fit".  [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 00:55, 5 March 2008 (EST)

The creative attempts to justify classroom prayer are illogical and self-contradictory:

The creative attempts to justify classroom prayer are illogical and self-contradictory: