Pledge of Allegiance Case Takes Center Stage at SCOTUS

[Ted Striker]

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[Fake Boris]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi
Well, then. Which specific religion endorses this belief?

Well, if you had to make an oath under the belief of 'atheism', would you say that it would be OK, as long as the text does not endorse a specific form of atheism?

[Fake Boris]

Ben Kenobi is PWN3D

[monkspider]

Am I the only one that reads pwned as "pawned".

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Originally posted by gamenaught


Can you back that claim with demographics or statistics?

Religionists use that reasoning to justify cramming their religion down the throats of everyone else.

But let’s see if that claim is true:

The most religious countries of the world (the Islamic countries) have a very low standard of living. The most religious states in the US (the Bible Belt) have lower standards of living, more crime, and far more divorces than the more secular parts of the country. In terms of individuals, the atheists and agnostics that I know are generally just as prosperous and probably more prosperous that the general God-believing population.

It looks to me that the people that piss in God’s face are doing far better than the believers. How do you explain that?

I'm specifically speaking of Christianity. Take a good look at Uganda for a good example of how God's blessings can bring a nation back from the brink of utter destruction into peace and prosperity.

[gamenaught]

I'm specifically speaking of Christianity.

God only blesses Christians!?!

Don't most of the other religions also believe in God?

Take a good look at Uganda for a good example of how God's blessings can bring a nation back from the brink of utter destruction into peace and prosperity.

Well, I did take a look at Uganda. Per CIA World Fact Book the current life expectancy of baby Ugandans is only 45. And more than 1 out of 3 will grow up below the poverty line.

Is that the best your god can do?

[gamenaught]

I'm specifically speaking of Christianity.

So why does the Bible Belt have a lower standard of living, higher crime, and far higher divorce rate than other (less religious) US states?

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
I pledge allegence to the flag
of the united states of america
and to the republic
for which it stands
one nation
under Vishnu
with liberty
and justice
for all

Wrong!

I pledge allegence to the flag
of the united states of america
and to the republic
for which it stands
one nation
under Giancarlo
with liberty
and justice
for all

You better get that right. Seig hail, seig Giancarlo. J/K

"Take a good look at Uganda for a good example of how God's blessings can bring a nation back from the brink of utter destruction into peace and prosperity."

Wrongo. You know about the rebel army, which calls to bring Uganda under the ten commandments? It has massacred hundreds if not thousands of people. My uncle was there just a short while ago doing some aide work with I think Red Cross... he had to leave because a bunch of people were killed by rebels. If you call that peace or prosperity you're pretty messed up in the head.

The nation that had true peace and prosperity was Mozambique. They still are poor but have experienced tremendous economic growth and have a very good government but that was not because of Christianity. Their government is secular.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read a book of quotations - Winston Churchill

OMFGG PWND!!!!1111111

Yes, that is the correct spelling of the verb "to own", which can be used to mean "to insult."

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Originally posted by gamenaught


God only blesses Christians!?!

Don't most of the other religions also believe in God?



Well, I did take a look at Uganda. Per CIA World Fact Book the current life expectancy of baby Ugandans is only 45. And more than 1 out of 3 will grow up below the poverty line.

Is that the best your god can do?

They are false religions. Their Gods are not the same God as the Christian God. Besides, the Gods of other religions never did anything wonderful or magnificent for their followers, nations; etc.

http://www.myuganda.co.ug/categories/about/economy/index.htm

Uganda has greatly improved as a nation and is continuing to do so.

I'll be back. . .

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Mr. Nice Guy


They are false religions. Their Gods are not the same God as the Christian God. Besides, the Gods of other religions never did anything wonderful or magnificent for their followers, nations; etc.

http://www.myuganda.co.ug/categories/about/economy/index.htm

Uganda has greatly improved as a nation and is continuing to do so.

I'll be back. . .

You can't prove your god. 'Nuf said. For all we know Zeus is up there with all the greek gods. Just saying god exists doesn't prove anything.

YEAH UGANDA IS SO IMPROVED... NOT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3515735.stm

Shortcomings in Uganda's army were to blame for the high number of deaths in the weekend massacre, President Yoweri Museveni has said.
He said the army should have been in closer contact with the self-defence militia guarding the refugee camp which was attacked, near the town of Lira.

He apologised on behalf of the army to survivors of the attack, in which 200 people were reportedly killed.

The killings have been blamed on rebels of the brutal Lord's Resistance Army.


But a rebel spokesman said civilians were caught in the crossfire as rebels defended themselves against a government attack.

Makeshift graves

"On behalf of the army, I apologise to the people," Mr Museveni said as he visited Lira hospital, packed with those who survived the attack.

He has however disputed the eyewitness reports that 200 civilians died in the massacre, putting the figure at 80.

He transferred the local army commander to headquarters for further training.

He says he will set up camp in northern Uganda, to personally supervise the fight against the rebels.

Some northern MPs have accused the army of ignoring their plight and not wanting to end the rebellion because it gives commanders the opportunity to make money.

The BBC's Will Ross in Lira says shocked survivors have been returning to the scene of this latest massacre to bury their relatives in makeshift graves.

Some 4,000 people had lived in the camp, after fleeing their homes because of fighting elsewhere in northern Uganda.

Mr Museveni said the camp had not been officially authorised.

As the insurgents surrounded the camp, 26km (16 miles) north of Lira, many people ran to their grass huts and were burned as the insurgents torched their houses, said local MP Charles Angiro.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has strongly condemned the weekend attack, which the International Criminal Court says it will investigate.

A UN relief team is due in Lira to decide whether it is safe for aid workers to travel there, and to assess the needs of several thousand people driven out of the camp.

Children kidnapped

Altogether the conflict is said to have displaced at least one million people.

The camp was being guarded by a local self-defence militia which was outnumbered and outgunned, an army spokesman said.

The LRA, led by self-proclaimed mystic Joseph Kony, are known for kidnapping young children to become fighters or sex slaves.

Our correspondent in Lira says that although the Ugandan army claims the war against the brutal LRA rebels is being won, the cycle of civilian massacres makes it hard for people to believe.

So having one million displaced people is an example of prosperity? Really ask yourself.. what kind of idiot are you? And by the way Museveni is a secular president.

[Mr. Harley]

The US has practioners of the various Caribbean Christian/animist hybrid religions that do not believe in God but in gods, and there is a consist attempt to abrogate and limit their religious rights. The most recent case, for which the SCOTUS for once came down on the constitutional side, was when a Florida town attempted to change zoning laws to prevent practioners of Santeria from performing their rituals, which include animal sacrifice.

The record with Native Americans, who have many animists, is much worse. In fact SCOTUS in the early 90's specifically tramped on jurisprudence and let practioners of the Native American Church be terminated by the State of Oregon for drug use. The new ruling WOULD have permitted the banning of sacremental wine by Christians and Jews during prohibition, but "that's different."

You have a growing Hindu community in the US, as was evidenced by the comment about "...under Vishnu" posted earlier. My point is that we have numerous populations, including the original inhabitants of this country, who do not believe in monotheism. It should be struck down under the constitution via equal establishment clause, but the so-called "conservative" judges will not do this. They are just as "activist" as the liberal judges when it suits their purpose, and the right wing types who rail against judicial activism will remain hippocritically silent. At least the left is honest about what they try to achieve via the courts.

I never thought I'd see Sava and Berzerker agreeing - with me on the their side.

[gamenaught]

Uganda has greatly improved as a nation and is continuing to do so

Did you even read the link you supplied?

Here is a quote:

"Because of the prudent macro economic policies, Uganda has recorded an impressive economic performance over the last decade "

Your own "supporting" source gives the credit to economic policies - not God's blessings.

[Giancarlo]

Still I don't see how a million people being internally displaced is any sense of prosperity.. at least in the social sense. Heck, I think Mr Nice Guy is probably siding with the LRA.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
Just saying god exists doesn't prove anything.

Just saying god doesn't exist doesn't prove anything either.

Perhaps Uganda wasn't such a good example.

I'll be back.