I have reported before how non-religious people are starting to assert their views in a more forceful manner than, in my mind, ever before in our history (Communists excluded).
These learned individuals who call themselves by many names including atheist, agnostic, secularist, humanist and free thinker, are becoming confrontational, challenging age old religious traditions whereas in the past they merely went along quietly with the prevailing societal norm.
We may be hearing a lot more from these types of folk in 2009 as more and more of them are finding like thinking individuals to talk to. They are finding these people on the internet in all sorts of on-line forums and many form formal, organized groups, some national in scale and even international.
I bring up this topic because a lawsuit was filed by a number of atheists and/or non-religious groups demanding that all references to God and religion be banned from Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony.
They want the words “so help me God” be taken out of the president’s oath of office. They want religious ministers be banned from delivering invocations and benedictions during the inaugural ceremonies.
The groups filing this lawsuit include the American Humanist Association and the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
The basis for their lawsuit is the Constitutional prohibition on the establishment of religion where Congress “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
Their rationale here is that our government, by allowing references to God and religion in official governmental ceremonies, officially side with religious people against non-religious people or non-believers.
This is a very fine point of distinction where the original intent was to have absolute religious freedom in our country by banning the government from ever enacting any laws having to do with the establishment of religion or the practice of religion; a total separation of Church and State, and the new, expanded interpretation suggesting that our government is banned even from endorsing the concept of religion (belief in God) which they obviously do as evidenced by the ceremony language.
Actually our government uses religion in many areas such as swearing in officials (hand on Bible) or witnesses in a trial to opening a session of Congress with a religious prayer, non-denominational but still a religion advocating a belief in a God or higher being.
Since a lot of traditions in our society use the concept of a belief in a God and have from the beginning (In God We Trust – on our coins); moving away or changing these traditions will be a monumental and probably impossible, task.
I like traditions, especially Polish traditions which invariably are all about religion intermixed with a variety of pagan (natural) traditions. BUT I feel that non-religious people have rights also and should not be subjected to putting up with religious references in public ceremonies; it makes them feel like they don’t belong or are second class citizens since obviously the official ceremonies are for only religious people or apply only to people that believe in a God.
I think in 2009, we will see more non-religious people stand up for their beliefs and demand equal treatment from our government. Yes, a belief that there is no God or at least no Christian God or Muslim God, etc. is after all a “belief” and should not be treated lightly or ignored or tread upon.
Yes, it is time to stand up and be counted…
These learned individuals who call themselves by many names including atheist, agnostic, secularist, humanist and free thinker, are becoming confrontational, challenging age old religious traditions whereas in the past they merely went along quietly with the prevailing societal norm.
We may be hearing a lot more from these types of folk in 2009 as more and more of them are finding like thinking individuals to talk to. They are finding these people on the internet in all sorts of on-line forums and many form formal, organized groups, some national in scale and even international.
I bring up this topic because a lawsuit was filed by a number of atheists and/or non-religious groups demanding that all references to God and religion be banned from Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony.
They want the words “so help me God” be taken out of the president’s oath of office. They want religious ministers be banned from delivering invocations and benedictions during the inaugural ceremonies.
The groups filing this lawsuit include the American Humanist Association and the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
The basis for their lawsuit is the Constitutional prohibition on the establishment of religion where Congress “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
Their rationale here is that our government, by allowing references to God and religion in official governmental ceremonies, officially side with religious people against non-religious people or non-believers.
This is a very fine point of distinction where the original intent was to have absolute religious freedom in our country by banning the government from ever enacting any laws having to do with the establishment of religion or the practice of religion; a total separation of Church and State, and the new, expanded interpretation suggesting that our government is banned even from endorsing the concept of religion (belief in God) which they obviously do as evidenced by the ceremony language.
Actually our government uses religion in many areas such as swearing in officials (hand on Bible) or witnesses in a trial to opening a session of Congress with a religious prayer, non-denominational but still a religion advocating a belief in a God or higher being.
Since a lot of traditions in our society use the concept of a belief in a God and have from the beginning (In God We Trust – on our coins); moving away or changing these traditions will be a monumental and probably impossible, task.
I like traditions, especially Polish traditions which invariably are all about religion intermixed with a variety of pagan (natural) traditions. BUT I feel that non-religious people have rights also and should not be subjected to putting up with religious references in public ceremonies; it makes them feel like they don’t belong or are second class citizens since obviously the official ceremonies are for only religious people or apply only to people that believe in a God.
I think in 2009, we will see more non-religious people stand up for their beliefs and demand equal treatment from our government. Yes, a belief that there is no God or at least no Christian God or Muslim God, etc. is after all a “belief” and should not be treated lightly or ignored or tread upon.
Yes, it is time to stand up and be counted…
No comments:
Post a Comment