(August 28, 2010 at 4:30 pm)Entropist Wrote: Apparently you are ignorant of all the cases the ACLU has taken to court on behalf of Christians as well.
The first amendment is quite simple, but obviously understanding nuance is a rare ability, especially among US Americans... The violation of the first amendment can swing in two different directions, both of them equally bad:
Scenario 1:
A teacher at a public (i.e. taxpayer funded) school leads a class in morning prayer. The teacher is an employee of the state. The teacher is in violation of the first amendment because as a representative of the state she is establishing her religion in the classroom (even if she allows other students to sit out of the prayer).
Scenario 2:
A student at a public school is privately praying over his lunch in the cafeteria. A teacher comes over to him, asks him what he is doing. He says he is praying. The teacher then says you cannot pray here. Again, the teacher is in violation of the first amendment, being a representative of the state. The teacher (and by extension, the state) has no say in the student's beliefs or lack thereof.
The ACLU has gone to court over BOTH scenarios, and things similar to it.
That you fail to grasp this very simple concept means you either (a) fell asleep in civics class or (b) had a crappy civics teacher (probably a coach).
All of which is irrelevant to the original question. You read far more into the document than was written. I'm sure that it makes you feel intellectually superior.
Sorry if I seem to be going all over the place. This forum is difficult to navigate for the 1st time user.
