good news for freedom of religion-

in spite of those many people that say "one nation under god" is generic and not reflective of a dominate christian agenda, the courts have ruled in favor of all religions and, yes even atheists have rights in america. its a good day!

Dyslexia
Don't celebrate if that is your intention. The Supreme court will IMO overturn the ruling. I think the entire matter has been blown out of proportion.
What is next will we have to print new money? The present bills have "IN God WE TRUST" printed on them. Will the congressional chaplains have to be fired? Will the bible no longer be used at inaugurations? How will witnesses be sworn in? And etc.etc.etc. I am all for freedom of religion and separation of church and state but common sense must prevail.

au common sense is prevailing, this decision relates specifically to the pledge of allegiance in which "under god" was an add-on during the McCarthy era.

I believe it was Eisenhower not McCarthy who was the culprit.

i think it's great news and upholds the first amendment.

my statement was to "McCarthy era"

McCarthy, a little known alcoholic senator from Wisconsin who latched on to the issue of Communism and became a sensation- During his senate hearing he was never able to convict a single American of being Communist. What a waste of tax-payers money.

Gala, and his cohort in crimes was Richard M Nixon

Richard M. Nixon, the jewel in the crown of paranoia.

Have you ever seen the movie Dick? If you like comedy, this is a film for you.

Godtisit.

If,
I asked them,
this is
One Nation under God,
um,
which, whose, which
godtisit?
Is it Moodra?
or Buddha,
(sorry, not technically a G-D.)
Is is G-D? Or g-d? Um
Maybe Jesus, baby Jesus,
or Jesus there at shortstop for the A's.
Is it Allah, or Baba,
or Shiva or that shitzu
who is a god spelled... aw you know.
Anyhow.
I wanted to know how to go,
go about telling my kids
that where we go
to sit and sing
isn't the official legal true American
godplace.
And I thought we might just go
sign up,
or get baptised rightly
at the official One God arena,
if one of them would just point
it out to me.
But they don't.
They say
I'm blowing things out of proportion.
I haven't got the right attitude,
proportionly speaking.
Yeah, I say,
I'm just asking
whose, which,
whose witch,
whose
godthisit?

Joe Nation

Joe Nation
How about any God you believe in. God is a vanilla word it does not define which or whose God. It just suggests a supreme being. It could be the wind, stars, moon or whatever deity you want it to be. God is an equal opportunity word.

Vanilla !!! AU...

How about no God?
How about if one believes that most of the people killing other people on this planet are doing it because they believe in imaginary beings of some sort? And maybe we ought to think about that a little before blithely going about our business.
Can you name ten present conflicts that don't have the belief in opposing supernatural philosophies as their root cause?
Ireland, Israel-Palestine, India-Pakistan, the Sudan, Ceylon, Irian Jawa, and there's more, the Hutu and the Tuitsis kill each other and they are more likely to think about God in the terms you mentioned....wind, fire, earth, sky. It just pushs them to killing the unbelievers.

Why do you want a particular symbol of mystical belief on your money?
And what do you do with the group of believers who think the word GOD is so sacred that it ought never to be printed or only printed G-D. Should some of the money say " In G-d we Trust".
Believe me when I say God is not a vanilla word and most of the believers will tell you that too. The Word is God and God is the Word. It is a word full of fire, sometimes that fire is love, but look around at what GOD hath wrought.

there is no, zero, nada, zilch, rational discourse that would ascertain that the use of the word 'god" is neutral in implication. and so ruled the court.

I have to go to bed now and shall not be in these pages for the next three days or so, but I have to say I cannot wait to tell my brother the priest that one of the believers thinks that the word God is a vanilla word.

Here all these churches are trying hard to create meaning out of meaninglessness and Au thinks that the word doesn't have any set meaning, an equal opportunity word, very plastic and elastic.

.For the love of God, man, don't you know what that means?


It means God is meaningless for you too.


Sleep tight, all.
Much love,
Joe

Well, I think I go along with vanilla. God means as many different things to as many different people there are. In this particular case, as dyslexia said, the word God was added to the pledge of allegiance late, and is not the word of choice to many citizens. This doesn't mean they don't believe in a higher power; it does mean they do not want to be told what to call it. And since this country was supposedly formed to provide freedom in many areas, that is a place where one should have a choice.

So, one can choose to believe or not believe in whatever the choice of word, but it should not be forced upon us.

I wouldn't break out the champagne, yet. I heard on the radio that Ashcroft is going to fight the ruling.

JAMES JOYCE'S VIEW ON RELIGION
THE SONG OF THE CHEERFUL (BUT SLIGHTLY SARCASTIC) JAYSUS


I'm the queerest young fellow that ever was heard
My mother's a Jew, my father's a bird
With Joseph the Joiner I cannot agree
So here's to Disciples and Calvary.

If anyone thinks that I'amn't Divine,
He gets no free drinks when I'm making' the wine
But have to drink water and wish it were plain*
That I make when the wine become water again!

My methods are new and are causing surprise:
To make the blind see, I through dust in their eyes
To signify merely there must be a cod
If the Commons will enter the Kingdom of God.

Now you know I don't swim and you know I don't skate
I came down to the ferry one day and was late.
So I walked on the water and all cried: "In Faith!"
For a Jewman it's better than having to bathe.

Whenever I enter in Triumph and pass
You'll find that my Triumph is due to an Ass
(And public support is a grand sinecure
When you once get the Public to pity the Poor)

Then give up your Cabin and ask them for bread
And they'll give you a stone habitation instead
With fine grounds to walk in and a raincoat to wear
And the Sheep will be naked before you go bare.

The more men are wretched, the more you will rule
But thunder out "Sinner!" to each bloody fool;
For the Kingdom of God (that's within you) begins
When you once make a fellow acknowledge his sins.

Rebellion anticipate timely by "Hope",
And stories of Judas and Peter the Pope
And you find that you'll never be left in the lurch
By Children of Sorrows and Mother the Church.

Goodbye now, Goodbye, you are sure to be fed
you will come on My Grave when I rise from the Dead
What's bred in the bone now, cannot fail me to fly
And Mount Olivet's breezy - Goodbye now - Goodbye.

JoeNation, Hutu and Tutsies did not have a religious war. Both these tribes confess the same religion, if I am not mistaken, they are Roman Catholics. It is a tribal war that has nothing in common with any religion.
The same refers to the conflict of Israelis and Palestinians. Both nations' leaders are rather secular than religious: Israel is not a theocracy, and Arafat does not pledge to establish an Islamic republic either. Israel is an outpost of the Western world in the Middle East, and this explains Arab hostility toward this country. Part of the slogans the enemies of Israel use, are Islamic, but this is a good example of abuse of religious faith for political purposes.
Conflict in Ceylon/Sri Lanka is also ethnic: between Singalese and Tamils; it seems to me that both of them are Hindu. It is about rights of ethnic minorities and their share of power in bi-ethnic country, than about any religion possible.

Joe Nation
You are dead wrong people are not killing each other because of their belief in God or if you will a supreme being. They are killing each other because of a particular religion. The two are not the same. As I have said many times organized and established religions are manmade atrosities. Again I say the the concept of there being a supreme being is vanilla. The method of worship is mans creation and as usual mans failing.
Agreed religion throught the ages has been the cause of wars, massacres, etnic cleansings, genocide and etc. However, if there was no religion do you think that man would not find another reason to kill?