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North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 5:39 pm
by saxitoxin
North Carolina lawmakers have asked the state's General Assembly to approve a resolution that would allow them to establish their own religion.

The resolution was prompted by a dispute between the American Civil Liberties Union and the Rowan County, North Carolina, Board of Commissioners, after the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit on March 13 demanding that the board stop its unconstitutional practice of opening government meetings with prayers that are specific to one religion.

Mike Meno, a spokesperson for the ACLU of North Carolina, told MSN News that 97 percent of board meetings since 2007 have been opened with prayers specific to one religion: Christianity.

Rep. Carl Ford is one of the two primary sponsors of the resolution. IMAGE

The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of three Rowan County citizens, who said that the prayers made them feel unwelcome and excluded because they represented only one religious viewpoint.

The primary sponsors of the proposed resolution – Rowan County Reps. Harry Warren and Carl Ford – are both from Rowan County, and Ford is a former Rowan County board commissioner.

http://news.msn.com/us/north-carolina-w ... -amendment

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:53 pm
by BigBallinStalin
Here's compromise:

Have a moment of silence before each meeting. "Feel free to pray quietly or pick your nose for the next minute."

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:09 pm
by Lootifer
Bahahaha.

Does the American Legal Gravy Train/Inclusive Movement know no bounds?!

Seriously throw that shit out of court (and im a pretty staunch agnostic).

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:26 am
by crispybits
When the first amendment say "Congress shall establish no state religion" (or words to that effect) doesn't that also ban states from doing so? Or as state legislation does that fly under the radar of that bit of the constitution?

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:49 am
by Symmetry
crispybits wrote:When the first amendment say "Congress shall establish no state religion" (or words to that effect) doesn't that also ban states from doing so? Or as state legislation does that fly under the radar of that bit of the constitution?


They want a theocracy.

Sec. 8. Disqualifications for office.
The following persons shall be disqualified for office:
First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God.


[url= http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/legislation ... ution.html] NC state constitution- ARTICLE VI
SUFFRAGE AND ELIGIBILITY TO OFFICE [/url]

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:02 am
by notyou2
Religion needs to be separate from state. It's a very simple concept. I fail to understand why this is so difficult for some people.

Oh I get it, they are influenced by religion and insist on shoving it down other people's throats.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:54 am
by thegreekdog
I think some of you guys misuderstood. This is a trap thread. Note specifically the poll options. It appears that Crispy and Symm specifically fell for it, although I'm sure they don't think they did. Lootifer not so much I suppose.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:10 am
by Symmetry
thegreekdog wrote:I think some of you guys misuderstood. This is a trap thread. Note specifically the poll options. It appears that Crispy and Symm specifically fell for it, although I'm sure they don't think they did. Lootifer not so much I suppose.


Meh- didn't bother with the poll. All else seems accurate.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:33 pm
by Night Strike
crispybits wrote:When the first amendment say "Congress shall establish no state religion" (or words to that effect) doesn't that also ban states from doing so? Or as state legislation does that fly under the radar of that bit of the constitution?


It specifically says "Congress", which means it only applies to the Federal Government. In fact, for many years after the Constitution and Bill of Rights was adopted, several of the states DID have state-favored religions. They all voted to remove them within a couple decades but were not forced to because of the Constitution.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:37 pm
by crispybits
thegreekdog wrote:I think some of you guys misuderstood. This is a trap thread. Note specifically the poll options. It appears that Crispy and Symm specifically fell for it, although I'm sure they don't think they did. Lootifer not so much I suppose.


If I fell for it fine, so much egg on my face! :lol: I merely asked a question about American Constitutional law to try and understand how this could even be suggested by a state as I thought you guys had total separation of religion and state over there.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:41 pm
by AndyDufresne
Night Strike wrote:
crispybits wrote:When the first amendment say "Congress shall establish no state religion" (or words to that effect) doesn't that also ban states from doing so? Or as state legislation does that fly under the radar of that bit of the constitution?


It specifically says "Congress", which means it only applies to the Federal Government. In fact, for many years after the Constitution and Bill of Rights was adopted, several of the states DID have state-favored religions. They all voted to remove them within a couple decades but were not forced to because of the Constitution.


It's pretty laughable.


--Andy

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:49 pm
by 2dimes
notyou2 wrote:Religion needs to be separate from state. It's a very simple concept. I fail to understand why this is so difficult for some people.

Oh I get it, they are influenced by religion and insist on shoving it down other people's throats.


I think we should organize some trips. I'm reasonably certain you would actually like many countries with an official religion.

I just looked up Norway and Finland. They are apparently Lutheran but seem to operate quite a bit like France. They have an "official religion" to a degree it actually stops most people from "shoving it down other people's throats."

You live in France? Then your Catholic, let's eat. No one bothers to check up on how good you are at it because most of them are not priests. You're Catholic just like everyone else. I think it must be difficult to fight about religion when everyone's the same one.

Finnish guy, "You should be Lutheran."
Norwegian guy, "I am."
Finnish guy, "Oh, good. Let's go closer to the bon fire and listen to some death metal."

I don't know how often someone knocks on your door, but here we get visitors from two really large organizations based in the US somewhat regularly. I don't mind, but in France you can't just build a "temple" put on your under garments and send the young adults on a mission because, it's sort of against the law not to be Catholic.

We should stop by another officially Catholic place, Rio de Janeiro for their big religious festival before lent. I'm not responsible if you stay though.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:57 pm
by thegreekdog
crispybits wrote:
thegreekdog wrote:I think some of you guys misuderstood. This is a trap thread. Note specifically the poll options. It appears that Crispy and Symm specifically fell for it, although I'm sure they don't think they did. Lootifer not so much I suppose.


If I fell for it fine, so much egg on my face! :lol: I merely asked a question about American Constitutional law to try and understand how this could even be suggested by a state as I thought you guys had total separation of religion and state over there.


Based on my understanding of the poll question and my general understanding of the motivations of Saxitoxin, he was trying to do two things. First, get the conservatives (like Night Strike) to admit their pleasure vis-a-vis socialist democracies like the UK. I think that was less important than his second motivation, namely to get the Brits (you and Symm) to denigrate their own country. Which you've done.

At least that's my interpretation of this thread. It helps that I treat every Saxitoxin thread as a potential trap thread.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:00 pm
by crispybits
But I've never argued that the British way is the right way. I certainly don't agree, for one example, with the way we have bishops of a religion sitting unelected in government houses purely because they are bishops (and the same goes for hereditary peers)

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:01 pm
by thegreekdog
crispybits wrote:But I've never argued that the British way is the right way. I certainly don't agree, for one example, with the way we have bishops of a religion sitting unelected in government houses purely because they are bishops (and the same goes for hereditary peers)


Well yeah. That doesn't seem to stop Saxi though. I think he likes calling attention to non-Americans arguing with Americans about American issues while ignoring their own country's issues. And I enjoy that, so I'm not going to ding him for it.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:42 pm
by Lootifer
Haha, I am too much the fundamentalist* and pragmatist to fall for the trap. Herp derp.

* Fundamentalist as in I tend to always look at primary drivers for something. Not strap bombs to my chest for the virgins.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:12 pm
by BigBallinStalin
Lootifer wrote:Haha, I am too much the fundamentalist* and pragmatist to fall for the trap. Herp derp.

* Fundamentalist as in I tend to always look at primary drivers for something. Not strap bombs to my chest for the virgins.


Really? Instead of strapping kiwis to your chest, you should try using vinegar and baking soda or something more explosive.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:13 pm
by crispybits
I prefer strapping virgins to my chest for the bomb! ;)

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 5:18 pm
by MeDeFe
I propose a very simple, formulaic prayer that should fit most official occasions: "Dear god, can we just get this over with already?"

PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 12:31 am
by 2dimes
Ok, after reading further in to wikopinion's article on Finland's religion. I can see a cause for potential consern. I still think we should go check the place out.

Re:

PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:05 am
by saxitoxin
2dimes wrote:Ok, after reading further in to wikopinion's article on Finland's religion. I can see a cause for potential consern. I still think we should go check the place out.


If Gillpig hadn't chased off Natty we might have a place to stay / sauna. Now we'll have to stay at MeDeFe's and wake up at like 0300 in order to catch the bus to Finland before it closes.

It's like going to Disneyland in the summer. You can never get a hotel in Anaheim and end up having to stay all the way up in Long Beach.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 7:43 am
by Symmetry
thegreekdog wrote:
crispybits wrote:
thegreekdog wrote:I think some of you guys misuderstood. This is a trap thread. Note specifically the poll options. It appears that Crispy and Symm specifically fell for it, although I'm sure they don't think they did. Lootifer not so much I suppose.


If I fell for it fine, so much egg on my face! :lol: I merely asked a question about American Constitutional law to try and understand how this could even be suggested by a state as I thought you guys had total separation of religion and state over there.


Based on my understanding of the poll question and my general understanding of the motivations of Saxitoxin, he was trying to do two things. First, get the conservatives (like Night Strike) to admit their pleasure vis-a-vis socialist democracies like the UK. I think that was less important than his second motivation, namely to get the Brits (you and Symm) to denigrate their own country. Which you've done.

At least that's my interpretation of this thread. It helps that I treat every Saxitoxin thread as a potential trap thread.


If he'd simply asked me, I would have been happy to discuss my country's flaws, especially when it comes to religion. I don't see the trap.

Re: North Carolina to declare a State Religion

PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 7:53 am
by notyou2
[quote="thegreekdog"]I think some of you guys misuderstood. This is a trap thread. Note specifically the poll options. It appears that Crispy and Symm specifically fell for it, although I'm sure they don't think they did. Lootifer not so much I suppose.[/quote

That's why I didn't vote.

Typical Saxi wordsmithing.

PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 3:41 pm
by 2dimes
saxitoxin wrote:
2dimes wrote:Ok, after reading further in to wikopinion's article on Finland's religion. I can see a cause for potential consern. I still think we should go check the place out.


If Gillpig hadn't chased off Natty we might have a place to stay / sauna. Now we'll have to stay at MeDeFe's and wake up at like 0300 in order to catch the bus to Finland before it closes.

It's like going to Disneyland in the summer. You can never get a hotel in Anaheim and end up having to stay all the way up in Long Beach.

No problem, what's the nearest airport with rental planes near MeDe's Ikea furnished flat? We'll use a Cessna bankrolled by Fruitcake's Tesco card. You still have it right? The commute should be like 8 minutes between inhabited places big enough for an airport.

Does MeDeFe have enough stuffies or do we need to bring our own?

Re:

PostPosted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 3:54 pm
by saxitoxin
2dimes wrote:
saxitoxin wrote:
2dimes wrote:Ok, after reading further in to wikopinion's article on Finland's religion. I can see a cause for potential consern. I still think we should go check the place out.


If Gillpig hadn't chased off Natty we might have a place to stay / sauna. Now we'll have to stay at MeDeFe's and wake up at like 0300 in order to catch the bus to Finland before it closes.

It's like going to Disneyland in the summer. You can never get a hotel in Anaheim and end up having to stay all the way up in Long Beach.

No problem, what's the nearest airport with rental planes near MeDe's Ikea furnished flat? We'll use a Cessna bankrolled by Fruitcake's Tesco card. You still have it right? The commute should be like 8 minutes between inhabited places big enough for an airport.

Does MeDeFe have enough stuffies or do we need to bring our own?


What is a Stuffy? Is it like a Furry? If so, I can almost guarantee MeDeFe has plenty. But I would prefer not to share the fold-out sofa with you in that case. I'll be staying in MeDeFe's girlfriend's küche. I heard it's rather large and accommodating; cavernous, almost.

That will be a nice change of pace for me as Es' küche is quite narrow. Sometimes I have friends over and we can't both fit into her küche at the same time and must take turns going in. It's disappointing. On Wednesdays the milkman comes to Es' place and Es usually has him leave his cream in her küche. Last Wednesday he spilled his cream before he could even get in her küche. It took us quite some time to clean up that mess. :x