Comments on: Famous or infamous?

By: rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate

rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:03:08 +0000

[...] United for Separation of Church and State sound familiar? See back in February they filed a lawsuit against the Town of Geece. As I wrote earlier, I glad. Let’s settle this once and for [...]

By: rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate

rochesterturning.com: turning the tide upstate — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:19:57 +0000

[...] that the Alliance Defense Fund is defending the Town of Greece. You know the lawsuit filed by Americans United for Separation of Church and State against the Town of Greece. I discussed it [...]

By: publius

publius — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:43:55 +0000

Elmer, that point is often made. The problem is it doesn’t work. When the Constitution was ratified there were no other bodies of government.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that congress in the Constitution refers to all levels of government and that establishment includes the favoring of one religion over another.

If the local sheriff comes to your house and says, “Elmer pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster or else.” That’s establishment.

This isn’t a new intrepretation, it is old law.

By: ladkiddo

ladkiddo — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:33:11 +0000

This is the point I was trying to make at the end of the post. It’s not at all about practicing religion, it’s about cow-towing to the Christian Right. The problem is, they defy the constitution and the laws which have been established, based on the constitution in doing so. Thank you.

By: stlo7

stlo7 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:59:26 +0000

Unfortunately were are built on the foundation of laws interpreted through our history.

Sort of difficult to cast that all away under the guise strict constructional ism

By: Natasha

Natasha — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:53:39 +0000

It’s more than praying, not praying, or sectarian, nonsectarian. I agree with the last post that it is how they use religion. If I am a citizen living in Greece and not Christian, or not White, or not straight, I might feel intimidated by the board members and/or excluded based on the image they project with their prayers and ideology.

By: Elmer

Elmer — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:56:39 +0000

If I were running a government meeting, I would not permit a prayer to be said because I would not want to make anyone uncomfortable.

I don’t like it when things are read into the constitution that are not really there. What happens when the Supreme Court at some future time decides that the right to free exercise of religion trumps the non establishment part of the amendment?

I prefer a more literal interpretation of the constitution. It is the best way to do it, protecting everyone’s rights. Problems such as prayer at town meetings can then be taken up by congress or the state legislatures.

By: stlo7

stlo7 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:29:11 +0000

Elmer - they have - the various laws that has come since the constitution was adopted.

Laws exist - the Judical branch interprets the laws against the body of laws in existence.

Again - the body of laws (Current Supreme Court interpretation) says prayer is OK a deity specific to a religion or a symbol is not OK at a government sponsored activity.

By: Elmer

Elmer — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:09:42 +0000

Did I mention that I fear my Muslim neighbor? Did I mention Bush as my fearless leader? You have quite an imagination.

By: Elmer

Elmer — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:07:31 +0000

Saying a prayer at a public meeting does not establish a religion and the Greece Town board cannot possibly be thought of as congress. I know the Supreme Court has indicated this, but that doesn’t mean that a different Supreme Court wouldn’t overturn it. These types of things should be legislated by the peoples’ representatives.

By: Bigboy

Bigboy — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:57:52 +0000

And I stand by it. Too much sarcasm in the posts in the posts. Point is whtwtrdood doesn’t “get it” an we are way to nice to tell him.

By: realgreecer

realgreecer — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:25:11 +0000

I’m afraid I have a much moer cynical reading of Auberger’s use of prayer. I think it has litte to do with reltion and everything to do with servig his base.

THE Christian nation typed are big supporters of Auberger who is fond of using locutions about the right kind of people. He sometime uses the kind of political code word Bush etc use to indicate they are on someone’s side.

Let’s keep greece safe for th right kind of people.

HA ha,

By: stlo7

stlo7 — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:15:57 +0000

Elmer - Actually it is mentioned - the 1st amendment you quoted earlier.

It may be convenient to say something is or is not explicitly in the constitution. The inconvenient truth of that argument is that the constitution is the foundation of all the subsequent interpretations of the laws are what remain in effect today.

Again - laws, not men, as I’ve stated elsewhere.

Public prayer has been interpreted as OK - nonsecular prayer at a government sponsored function has been interpreted as not OK.

it is that simple.

By: whtwtrdood

whtwtrdood — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:15:50 +0000

Bigboy’s the one that complained about his tax dollars being wasted while govt. employees prayed on the job, not me.

By: jiminybizbo

jiminybizbo — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:08:28 +0000

You need to get out more Elmer. And remember - the only “muslim with the gun” that was responsible for the attacks on 911 was Osama bin Laden - a man with rich family ties to your fearless leader Bush, and a man who - to this date - has never been caught or captured.

That should keep you and your right wing friends awake at night. Fearing your muslim neighbor is the least of your concerns.