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#1 Jan 18 2005 at 6:17 PM Rating: Good
For those who hate forwarded emails, quit reading here. The following was forwarded to me by my aunt, who is recently and icnreasingly sympathetic with the religious right. Consider yourself warned.

Quote:
-----Original Message-----
Subject: Fw: Paul Harvey


Paul Harvey says, "I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school
teacher taught his theory of evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered
because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.

So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the
entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and
asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans
going home from the game.

"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the
United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles.
According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber
all others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect-somebody
chanting Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I
would expect to hear a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in
Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping
pong match in China, I would expect to hear someone pray to Buddha. And
I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit. When in Rome...
"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them?
Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the
collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.

If that's asking too much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go
to the bathroom. Visit the concession stand. Call your lawyer.
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell
thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a
football game is going to shake the world's foundations. Christians are
just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip
us of all our rights. Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray
before eating, to pray before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray
without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling
us to cease praying. God, help us. And if that last sentence offends
you, well..........just sue me.

The silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we let that one
or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority don't
care what they want. It is time the majority rules! It's time we tell
them, you don't have to pray.. you don't have to say the pledge of
allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that
honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right. But by
golly, you are no longer going to take our rights away. We are fighting
back. And we WILL WIN! God bless us one and all, especially those who
denounce Him... God bless America, despite all her faults, she is still
the greatest nation of all..... God bless our service men and women who
are
fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God... "

May 2005 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back
as the foundation of our families and institutions. Keep looking
up...... In God WE Trust.

If you agree with this, please pass it on. If not, delete.



Thoughts?
#2 Jan 18 2005 at 6:23 PM Rating: Decent
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2,444 posts
Actually our country was built upon Masonry Christian standards, which are far different than normal Christian values of today.

So to the person that wrote that original article, GFY!!
#3 Jan 18 2005 at 6:26 PM Rating: Good
No thoughts, just anger and hypertension.
#4 Jan 18 2005 at 6:36 PM Rating: Decent
*****
14,454 posts
Quote:
he silent majority has been silent too long. It's time we let that one
or two who scream loud enough to be heard, that the vast majority don't
care what they want. It is time the majority rules! It's time we tell
them, you don't have to pray.. you don't have to say the pledge of
allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that
honor Him. That is your right, and we will honor your right.


I can see praying in public. That's fine for me, so long as I am not forced to do it, or judged upon by others for not praying. But this email says they respect the rights of those who do not wish to be religious, and yet, they don't. They judge others who are not like them and say it quite loud. They haven't been silent. If they actually had been silent, then sure, go ahead, make an email, band together, become bloodbrothers, I could care less. But they're not, they do not respect others rights, so I could care less about their plight as well. Until they respect others, I don't care what they whine about. And it is a bunch of whining. Nicely put, but whining nonetheless
#5 Jan 18 2005 at 6:38 PM Rating: Default
Wait, so we do live in a "free" country?


/dies
#6 Jan 18 2005 at 6:42 PM Rating: Good
****
6,730 posts
Quote:
Yes, and this is the
United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles.


Sure, Protastant Christian principles, Babtist Christian principles, Eastern Orthodox Christian principles, Lutherian Christian principles, Methodist Christian principles, Pentecostal Christian principles, Roman Catholic Christian principles, Catholic Christian principles, Quaker principles, Amish principles. And then there are the Jews, they may not have shown up at Plymoth rock but they sure as hell have been here a long time. Embracing your "Christian" principles and claiming they are the foundation of our nation is as niave as believing the Civil War was about freeing slaves. This country was founded on freedom, freedom from religious persucution was one of those freedoms. Unfortunatly now a days most people believe it was freedom to shove your beliefs in anothers face.
#7 Jan 18 2005 at 7:01 PM Rating: Decent
I was totally with it until "..this country founded on Christian principles"

I will concede every point of the email if they will concede that this country was founded on Enlightenment principles, NOT cousin-fu[/u]ckin backwoods mountain folksy "Christian principles".
#8 Jan 18 2005 at 7:02 PM Rating: Good
Gurue
*****
16,299 posts
I'm agnostic at best. I don't go to church or practice any kind of religion. And none of this religious stuff bothers me. Maybe it's because I live in the south where it's thought that everyone believes drinking is the devil, dancing leads to sex and all that other crap.

I have never felt like someone else's prayer was pushed on me. The ten commandments in a federal building don't bother me. To me, it's just a plaque on the wall.

Now, if someone wanted me to participate in that prayer, I'd object. If someone was pushing religious pamphlets on me all the time, I'd get pissed.

And now that I read over this, I realize I'm not sure where I'm going with it. Except maybe to say that we all should try to be a bit more tolerant. (that's pretty funny, isn't it?)
#9 Jan 18 2005 at 8:11 PM Rating: Default
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296 posts
Religious liberty, inalienable rights, freedom of speech, all men being created equal, etc. None of these principles are taught in christian scripture.

The fact that our nation has some laws that correspond with some of the ten commandments does not count.Those aren't differentiating princples. There were already countries with laws banning stealing and/or killing so those principles didn't make the U.S. special.

I don't care if all of the founding fathers were devout witch hunting christians (which they were not), that wouldn't change the fact that our core differentiating founding principles did not come from and were not even remotely related to anything taught in christian scripture.
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