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From: ab3@stat-l (Rsk the Wombat)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Discussion moved from net.singles
Message-ID: <73@stat-l>
Date: Fri, 25-May-84 18:18:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: stat-l.73
Posted: Fri May 25 18:18:36 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jun-84 02:40:26 EDT
Organization: Pucc Unix Systems Group
Lines: 44


	Hi.  Ok, this is an attempt to move an ongoing discussion from
net.singles to net.religion...let's see how it goes...

	Ok, Jeff, here's some responses:

> In fact, anyone reading the New Testament will see that one of the main 
> emphases of Christ and Christianity is removing discord between people.
> 'Tis a shame that many, believers as well as non-believers, have 
> forgotten that.

	Christ, yes...Christianity no.  The Christ-character in the biblical
myths certainly had a lot to say about being nice to one another, and said
it pretty well.  Just fine and dandy.  Christianity has had a lot to say about
non-tolerance of other faiths ("Believe what we believe or rot in hell" 
and, sometimes, "Believe what we believe or die") and in modern times, a
lot to say that seems to me very negative about people's lifestyles.
("Don't have sex for fun.  Don't drink.  Don't read this.  Don't watch
that. Etc, ad infinatum)

> It's curious, and ought to be a little disturbing to civil libertarians, that
> in this day and age, it's the Christians who seem to be denied the right to
> speak their beliefs.  
>
> I'm not doing any arm-twisting, so why not just not let it bother you?

	Not denied; just told to shut up when intruding inappropriately.  I'm
sick of hearing our President refer to his god in his speeches; I'm sick of
seeing public-funded nativity displays; I'm sick of reading "In god we trust"
on our currency; and I'm sick of Christians' thinly-veiled attempts to
inject theology into the classroom via creatonism.

	It's about time those of us that believe in the separation of
church and state got good and mad about this, and stood up for *our* right
not to be confronted with someone elses' religious beliefs at every turn.

	To paraphrase Lazarus Long:

	Religion is fine; but do it in private, and wash your hands afterwards.

-- 
Rsk the Wombat
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