Blurring the line separating church and state...

[Wookies Cruel Circus]

Originally posted by SO
Wookie, a question:

If I were to become mayor of the town in which you live, and decided to post the Eleven Satanic Rules Of The Earth in front of the courthouse, would you object?

I might. But my objecting doesn't mean I'd have a leg to stand on. Honestly, I'm a little surprised they are so tame. I was expecting something more apocolyptic. They don't really stray too far from the Ten Commandments.
But honestly, I probably wouldn't be moved to much of a protest, just like I'm not that moved now.

The main point you guys seem to be trying to make is that having this statue there is exclusionary to all other religions. You're going to have to explain that position, as I am not accepting that as a given.

And, as far as Crackle's points, my first thought when he was trying to campare the Ten to current law was Blue Laws, too. For example, up until very recently, liquor stores could not open at all on Sunday in NY. And there are limitations on types of work that can be done in Jersey on Sunday, as well. Those laws are in place b/c Sunday is the Christian holy day, no? The medicare thing was a stretch, though.

FTL, yes, it opens them up to lawsuits, but that's not really a decent reason to do or not do something. And whether or not you feel religion is useful or real doesn't really determine the properness of the argument, either. In fact, wouldn't their "fakeness" then make them more innocuous and less of a problem?

I think Moore is wrong to defy the federal court's order. That is not the proper way to handle the issue, and it is likely he will be punished for it, and rightfully so. (It's been suggested he may try to parlay this notoriety into a bigger political run down the line...)
I don't even have cut and dry feelings about the validity of his points. I think there are definitely states' rights issues, I think the question of how far church vs. state goes should be answered, and I think we need to decide if the simple existence or acknowledgment of religion is or should be problematic to "non-believers." I think anyone who says the issue is absolute one way or the other isn't giving it enough thought.