Removing God from Government programs is promoting free speech. Why should the government force rteligion down people's throats. If you want religious beliefs, fine, but keep it private and separate from the state
Amen brother. Prayer deserves its spot in public schools. The first amendment protects freedom of religion and we should all be free to pray together.
Separation of Church and State. You cannot force religion on people, it is not just. The US was not founded as a religious nation as most of the founding fathers were not religious men. Some were, but a majority of them were deists. Why are people like you hellbent on making America a theocracy like Iran?
Also, violent crime has been vastly decreased since the 1980s, so please don't lie.
Wow. We need representatives who understand the importance of separation of church and state. We need representatives who know their history well enough to understand that many of the orignal colonists were fleeing persecution from "strong Christians" who were not unlike Rick Barber. We need representatives who don't make up stupid crap like the claim that lack of prayer in school leads to high crime rates.
@mistergarth FIrst off, we need idiots like you to read history. So the Mayflower was full of people who wanted to get away from Christianity and the Governing of it?
The Mayflower Compact (1620)
“In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, France and Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc. having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith
"the Mayflower was full of people who wanted to get away from Christianity...?"
What part of "many" don't you understand? I didn't say "all" or even a majority.
And I didn't even suggest that they were trying to escape Christianity; generally they were escaping persecution by other Christian sects.
Some, like the Puritans, set up their own little theocracies where they could do the persecuting. Others, like the Quakers, recognized the value of tolerance.
@mistergarth Seperation of Church and State isn't even in the Constitution. The letter it originated from was to insure that the church had first amendment rights to speak out about their religion in public without the state telling them they could not speak about certain things in their religion as the state tries to do now. Stop twisting separation of church and state. It insures our freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
@richard4president Hey dumb ass, freedom of religion and speech means that *gasp* the State does not pander to one religious form. This may just shock you but there are other religions in the world and in America other than Christianity. The Separation of Church and State IS in the Constitution. GOD HAS NO PLACE IN SCHOOLS, COURTHOUSES, OR GOVERNMENT. A government that puts religious dogma in, is not respecting freedom of religion at all. Barber is being blatently intolerant of others.
@richard4president *sigh*, it amazes me that none of you attempt to understand the meaning behind the Constitution, or did you never take a class in Reading Comprehension
It may not be directly in the Constitution, but you realize that having prayer in a school or mentioning the Christian faith and having students observe that faith in a public school is blatantly biased towards Christianity. The School is part of the state, and thus having prayer in it IS respecting Christianity
@GoVikes0 It is not CONGRESS respecting it and the schools already CAN'T have teacher or administrative personnel lead a prayer. It is not bias, a Muslim could pray as well or a student can choose not to pray, but that is not the point.
The point is that the ACLU/NAACP/Southern Poverty Law sues to stop these students from saying "I want to thank Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior" in their graduation speeches.
@GoVikes0 Continuing to attack my "reading comprehension" is simply an uncalled for attack in our constructive conversation. Just because I'm not trying to add to the Constitution doesn't mean I am not "comprehending" the words.
@richard4president let me give you an example of what should and should not be allowed
1. A student who forms a Christian club to call the faithful and pray with them SHOULD be allowed. That is freedom of expression and religion and works just fine
2. A Public School that requires students to pray every day to Jesus Christ, whether they be Christian or not. {ublic schools are run by the government and when they preach a certain faith the government is doing it to, respecting that religion
@GoVikes0 My point is that students don't lose their 1st amendment rights just by walking through school doors. Student led prayer is legal as long as they initiated it.
@richard4president Continuing on. I respect that Religions can speak their word in public, yes that is their right, that is the Freedom of Speech. However, what CANNOT happen is that the state, in STATE run schools allow Religion to be there. We are a secular republic, and it astonishes me that you hypocrites whine about Muslims forcing their women to wear the Burqa and then go ahead and try to bring your God into our Government. Yes our Founders were religious, but they did not force others
"Seperation of Church and State isn't even in the Constitution."
The concept is; those exact words are not.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"
Yes, there is no state religion. Church and state are separate. The government may not tell you or me who to worship, how to worship, or whether to worship at all.
Washington, Jefferson, and several of the other founding fathers would be disgusted by the theocracy Barber proposes.
@mistergarth Funny how you leave out the rest of the sentence in the 1st amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech"
The government can make no law respecting it, great. That is what you said. However, you left out the fact they can't prohibit free exercise of that religion or the freedom of speech. My point is that the separation is to PROTECT the rights to speak them...
"...PROTECT the rights to speak them... Not to protect the rights of those that don't want to hear about it."
Let me see if I have this correct: you're saying the Constitution protects the rights of Christians to practice their religion, but it doesn't protect the rights of non-believers from having Christianity shoved down their throats in public schools, courtrooms, etc.
Does freedom of religion mean anything at all if it doesn't include freedom of non-religion?
@mistergarth Actually I am saying that freedom of religion doesn't mean "i can sue anyone that tries to talk about their religion in public." This seems to be the entire mission now for organizations such as the ACLU and others.
It means that a student has every right to thank God in her graduation speech if she wants. The ACLU would rather sue so her rights are oppressed. Do you understand what I am talking about now?
@richard4president In short, what Barber is doing is BEYOND ensuring Freedom of Speech, it is taking it away, He is saying "Our God and our religion is superior to yours". Well newsflash, it isn't. Everyone's religion is okay, so in short, try to take basic Reading Comprehension, and understand that the message of the First Amendment is the following in regard to religion: you may preach, but the GOVERNMENT will NOT preach the word of ANY religion.
keep your religion to yourself
FlyinSpaghettiMnstr7 8 months ago
Removing God from Government programs is promoting free speech. Why should the government force rteligion down people's throats. If you want religious beliefs, fine, but keep it private and separate from the state
jampt1989 1 year ago
Blessed what for over 200 hundred years .
jerome4445 1 year ago
Nice try, Barber, but the people clearly saw you're a lunatic.
jstohler 1 year ago
Amen brother. Prayer deserves its spot in public schools. The first amendment protects freedom of religion and we should all be free to pray together.
straken9k1 1 year ago
Separation of Church and State. You cannot force religion on people, it is not just. The US was not founded as a religious nation as most of the founding fathers were not religious men. Some were, but a majority of them were deists. Why are people like you hellbent on making America a theocracy like Iran?
Also, violent crime has been vastly decreased since the 1980s, so please don't lie.
morkedager 1 year ago
Rick, pls go
onesuchpath 1 year ago
Go Rick
texan6usa 1 year ago
Funny that you talk about uncalled for attacks when you called mistergarth an idiot in your first reply.
GoVikes0 1 year ago
Wow. We need representatives who understand the importance of separation of church and state. We need representatives who know their history well enough to understand that many of the orignal colonists were fleeing persecution from "strong Christians" who were not unlike Rick Barber. We need representatives who don't make up stupid crap like the claim that lack of prayer in school leads to high crime rates.
mistergarth 1 year ago
@mistergarth FIrst off, we need idiots like you to read history. So the Mayflower was full of people who wanted to get away from Christianity and the Governing of it?
The Mayflower Compact (1620)
“In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, France and Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc. having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith
richard4president 1 year ago
@richard4president
"the Mayflower was full of people who wanted to get away from Christianity...?"
What part of "many" don't you understand? I didn't say "all" or even a majority.
And I didn't even suggest that they were trying to escape Christianity; generally they were escaping persecution by other Christian sects.
Some, like the Puritans, set up their own little theocracies where they could do the persecuting. Others, like the Quakers, recognized the value of tolerance.
mistergarth 1 year ago
@mistergarth Seperation of Church and State isn't even in the Constitution. The letter it originated from was to insure that the church had first amendment rights to speak out about their religion in public without the state telling them they could not speak about certain things in their religion as the state tries to do now. Stop twisting separation of church and state. It insures our freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
richard4president 1 year ago
@richard4president Hey dumb ass, freedom of religion and speech means that *gasp* the State does not pander to one religious form. This may just shock you but there are other religions in the world and in America other than Christianity. The Separation of Church and State IS in the Constitution. GOD HAS NO PLACE IN SCHOOLS, COURTHOUSES, OR GOVERNMENT. A government that puts religious dogma in, is not respecting freedom of religion at all. Barber is being blatently intolerant of others.
GoVikes0 1 year ago
@GoVikes0 Really? The separation of Church and state is not in the constitution. Go ahead and show me where the term is.
The people can say whatever they want in school, courthouses, and government. As long as the Congress passes no law "respecting" a certain religion.
richard4president 1 year ago
@richard4president *sigh*, it amazes me that none of you attempt to understand the meaning behind the Constitution, or did you never take a class in Reading Comprehension
It may not be directly in the Constitution, but you realize that having prayer in a school or mentioning the Christian faith and having students observe that faith in a public school is blatantly biased towards Christianity. The School is part of the state, and thus having prayer in it IS respecting Christianity
GoVikes0 1 year ago
@GoVikes0 It is not CONGRESS respecting it and the schools already CAN'T have teacher or administrative personnel lead a prayer. It is not bias, a Muslim could pray as well or a student can choose not to pray, but that is not the point.
The point is that the ACLU/NAACP/Southern Poverty Law sues to stop these students from saying "I want to thank Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior" in their graduation speeches.
richard4president 1 year ago
@GoVikes0 Continuing to attack my "reading comprehension" is simply an uncalled for attack in our constructive conversation. Just because I'm not trying to add to the Constitution doesn't mean I am not "comprehending" the words.
richard4president 1 year ago
@richard4president let me give you an example of what should and should not be allowed
1. A student who forms a Christian club to call the faithful and pray with them SHOULD be allowed. That is freedom of expression and religion and works just fine
2. A Public School that requires students to pray every day to Jesus Christ, whether they be Christian or not. {ublic schools are run by the government and when they preach a certain faith the government is doing it to, respecting that religion
GoVikes0 1 year ago
@GoVikes0 My point is that students don't lose their 1st amendment rights just by walking through school doors. Student led prayer is legal as long as they initiated it.
richard4president 1 year ago
@richard4president Continuing on. I respect that Religions can speak their word in public, yes that is their right, that is the Freedom of Speech. However, what CANNOT happen is that the state, in STATE run schools allow Religion to be there. We are a secular republic, and it astonishes me that you hypocrites whine about Muslims forcing their women to wear the Burqa and then go ahead and try to bring your God into our Government. Yes our Founders were religious, but they did not force others
GoVikes0 1 year ago
@richard4president
"Seperation of Church and State isn't even in the Constitution."
The concept is; those exact words are not.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"
Yes, there is no state religion. Church and state are separate. The government may not tell you or me who to worship, how to worship, or whether to worship at all.
Washington, Jefferson, and several of the other founding fathers would be disgusted by the theocracy Barber proposes.
mistergarth 1 year ago
@mistergarth Thank you mistergarth, you actually have some sense here!!!
GoVikes0 1 year ago
@mistergarth Funny how you leave out the rest of the sentence in the 1st amendment. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech"
The government can make no law respecting it, great. That is what you said. However, you left out the fact they can't prohibit free exercise of that religion or the freedom of speech. My point is that the separation is to PROTECT the rights to speak them...
richard4president 1 year ago 2
@mistergarth Not to protect the rights of those that don't want to hear about it.
richard4president 1 year ago
@richard4president
"...PROTECT the rights to speak them... Not to protect the rights of those that don't want to hear about it."
Let me see if I have this correct: you're saying the Constitution protects the rights of Christians to practice their religion, but it doesn't protect the rights of non-believers from having Christianity shoved down their throats in public schools, courtrooms, etc.
Does freedom of religion mean anything at all if it doesn't include freedom of non-religion?
mistergarth 1 year ago
@mistergarth Actually I am saying that freedom of religion doesn't mean "i can sue anyone that tries to talk about their religion in public." This seems to be the entire mission now for organizations such as the ACLU and others.
It means that a student has every right to thank God in her graduation speech if she wants. The ACLU would rather sue so her rights are oppressed. Do you understand what I am talking about now?
richard4president 1 year ago
@richard4president In short, what Barber is doing is BEYOND ensuring Freedom of Speech, it is taking it away, He is saying "Our God and our religion is superior to yours". Well newsflash, it isn't. Everyone's religion is okay, so in short, try to take basic Reading Comprehension, and understand that the message of the First Amendment is the following in regard to religion: you may preach, but the GOVERNMENT will NOT preach the word of ANY religion.
GoVikes0 1 year ago
Comment removed
richard4president 1 year ago