Okay. So here's the situation(s).
Currently in Switzerland students can be forced by law to perform cultural tradition X, regardless of the nature of their objections to X. I find this to be ridiculous, because X serves absolutely no secular purpose as far as I can tell, and forcing the students by law to perform X accomplishes nothing.
Currently in America students cannot be forced by law to perform cultural tradition Y, regardless of the nature of their objections to it. I find this to be the better situation, because Y serves absolutely no secular purpose as far as I can tell, and forcing the students by law to perform Y accomplishes nothing.
The second situation is fundamentally different than the first, and I don't see what you're trying to gain from comparing the two. Now, if you were to say something like "The logic behind forcing kids to shake hands is identical to the logic used by those who wanted to force kids to say the pledge. This logic is obviously flawed because the courts agreed that you cannot force kids to say the pledge. Therefore one shouldn't be able to force kids to shake hands." I'd say that's a fine point to make.
Currently in Switzerland students can be forced by law to perform cultural tradition X, regardless of the nature of their objections to X. I find this to be ridiculous, because X serves absolutely no secular purpose as far as I can tell, and forcing the students by law to perform X accomplishes nothing.
Currently in America students cannot be forced by law to perform cultural tradition Y, regardless of the nature of their objections to it. I find this to be the better situation, because Y serves absolutely no secular purpose as far as I can tell, and forcing the students by law to perform Y accomplishes nothing.
The second situation is fundamentally different than the first, and I don't see what you're trying to gain from comparing the two. Now, if you were to say something like "The logic behind forcing kids to shake hands is identical to the logic used by those who wanted to force kids to say the pledge. This logic is obviously flawed because the courts agreed that you cannot force kids to say the pledge. Therefore one shouldn't be able to force kids to shake hands." I'd say that's a fine point to make.
In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.
- Thomas Jefferson
- Thomas Jefferson
