Freedom of Religion Also Means Freedom From Religion

I received from a friend by email the following: 

Samuel Thompson wrote:

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. And we are in the Bible Belt. 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 just 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 you are no longer going to take our rights away .. we are fighting back.. and we WILL WIN! After all - the God you have the right to denounce is on our side!

God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him...

God bless America, despite all her faults.. still the greatest nation of all.....

God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God...

May 2004 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


--End Quote--

This is typical Xn fundamentalist nonsense justifying their violation of the rights of atheists, agnostics, and theists who do not approve nor want public practice of religion.

Our influential US Founding Fathers were Deists. [Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, John Adams, Madison, Governeur Morris, Ethan Allen]

See http://www.bobkwebsite.com/evdnceofdeismofusfndrs.html

As Deists, our Founding Fathers were men who studied and therefore know history, and they knew from history that Christians who gained political control of European government were the wonderful folks who brought us the Inquisition and the Crusades and the Spanish Conquistadors (who conquered the Native Indians of Central and Soouth America) and therefore caused injury to innocent individuals.

The Founding Fathers were determined to not let Christians or any other religionists impose their religion upon innocent individual citizens of the United States. The US Const. is therefore free of reference to gods and does not contain any requirements for religious tests for public office. The 1st Amend. is therefore an embodiment of their intent to ensure that religionists as religionists imposing their religion never were to gain political control of the government of the United States.

First Problem:

S. Thompson:

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? ... 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.

--End Quote--

1. The Christian mangod commands Christians to pray in secret:

St. Matt. 6:6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. [KJV]

Christians ought to be able to benefit from private prayer and therefore not need public prayer.

St. Matthew actually reports the commands of the Christian mangod are more extensive than a prohibition against public prayer and include prohibitions against any form of public practice of religion:

St. Matt: 6:1-21.St. Matthew [KJV]: 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

6:17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;

6:18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

6:20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

--End Quote--

Not the prohibition by the Christian mangod of any public practice of religion.

2. If the players and fans are in danger and need the protection of gods, player should not be playing, and fans should not be attending, a football game!!!

Second Problem:

S. Thompson:

[The] United States of America [is] a country founded on Christian principles.

--End Quote--

No, it is not; it is founded upon the US Constitution, which was written by Deists, not Christians, and which does not contain Christian principles, and, specifically, the concept of the republican form of government is of Greek origin, not Christian, nor Jewish.

See http://www.bobkwebsite.com/evdnceofdeismofusfndrs.html for info inre the Deism of the US Founders.

See http://www.bobkwebsite.com/christianprinciplesofusgovt.htm for info inre the claimed Christian principles upon which the US was supposedly founded.

Third Problem:

S. Thompson:

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them? ... Just humor us for 30 seconds. ... I don't think a short prayer at a football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

--End Quote--

US Const. 1st Amend.: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...

The US Const. 1st Amend. implies both freedom of religion and freedom from religion, thus people are free to practice their religion in private, but not in public, because a public practice of religion in public infringes on the liberties of atheists and agnostics, as well as theists who do not approve of public prayer by denying them freedom from religion, and public prayer establishes religion, though not necessarily a specific religion.

Those who assert that the US Const. 1st Amend. ONLY implies freedom of religion and does not imply freedom from religion have to prove their assertion.

This they cannot do because freedom of religion is implied and not specifically stated in the US Const. 1st Amend., and if the implication of freedom of religion is allowed for the US Const. 1st Amend. then the implication of freedom from religion must also be allowed for the US Const. 1st Amend.

Of primary concern herein is the fact that free exercise of private religion must never be prohibited within the restraints of "The essence of the law is that no man should [be allowed to] incjure another [innocent man]; all the rest [of the law] is commentary."

The fundamental freedom herein is do what you wish so long as it does not injure any one else who does not intend to injure you.

The free exercise of private religion is more fundamental than the free exercise of public religion.

The freedom from the free exercise of public religion is more fundamental than the freedom from the free exercise of private religion.

Thus, if the US Const. 1st Amend. implies freedom of religion then it also implies freedom from religion, and freedom from religion must include freedom from public practice of religion including freedom from public prayer.

Fourth Problem:

S. Thompson: 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 just to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.

--End Quote--

In US justice, might does not make right.

Christians are not being stripped of their rights to practice Christianity in private.

The Christian Bible commands Christians not to pray in public and to pray instead in private.

If a handful of people want to be free from public practice of religion because they are injured when their liberties include freedom from religion and that freedom from religion is denied by public practice of religion then that is their right.

Thus, freedom of religion should also mean freedom from religion. The denial of public prayer is not denial of private prayer. The denial of public prayer ensures the individual freedoms and liberties of those who do not approve of public prayer and guarantees they shall not be injured by religionists.