[Avenger]

"Freedom OF religion is not freedom FROM religion."

Pretty meaningless statement. For some science is a religion, for some sex is. Buddhism is a religion and yet the existence of any diety is superfluous. Are we going to pass legislation requiring that every American be involved in some sort of religion? Should Satanism or Scientology be allowed satisfy that requirement? Look, I am not anti-Christian, but these sorts of meaningless statements hurt the conservative cause.

[frgoff]

Here's a radical thought. Instead of federal judges decreeing from the bench, why don't we let local communities decide the level of religious expression they want in their public venue. So if D.C. wants their schools completely secular, they can make that decision and if Macon, Georgia wants their schools to include Christian prayer at all school events, they can make that decision, and not have to worry about 9 men in black robes in D.C. telling them they can't.

[L98Fiero]

"For some science is a religion, for some sex is."

I think you might need to check out the definition of the word "religion". Really liking something does not make that something a religion, no matter how "religiously" that something is pursued.

[fr_freak]

"Freedom OF religion is not freedom FROM religion."

Pretty meaningless statement. For some science is a religion, for some sex is... Look, I am not anti-Christian, but these sorts of meaningless statements hurt the conservative cause.

On the contrary, that statement is far from meaningless. In fact, it goes to the heart of the misinterpretation of the First Amendment that is being propagated from court to court.

The concept of freedom of religion means that citizens are free from being prevented from practicing whichever faith they choose (as in "Congress shall make no law..."). This means that if a public official wishes to say a prayer during a speech, or a child in a public school wishes to say grace before lunch, even out loud, he cannot be forbidden by law to do it.

However, the modern, Leftist, activist, interpretation of this concept is freedom from religion, where any individual can put a stop to any practicing of faith in public simply by saying it offends him. Even the vestiges of religion, such as the posting of the Ten Commandments in the courthouse, can be removed through the force of a single individual's objection, with the compliance of an activist court hostile to Christianity. This turns the concept of freedom OF religion on its head, and has the effect of suppressing religious freedom.

[weegee]

Scientology IS a religion now (although originally it was a "science"). You must have slept though the Clinton years when John Travolta bent the Bent One's ear.