FFRF Wins National Day of Prayer Case

[DavidDvorkin]

http://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-wins-national-day-of-prayer-case/

Struck down by a district court on separation grounds.

[laconicsax]

1. That decision is a thing of beauty.

Not to mention 58 years overdue.

[lazarus]

2. sweet

any chance this is going to get kicked up?

[DavidDvorkin]

3. I'm assuming it will end up in the Supreme Court

Once that happens, I'm not optimistic about the outcome.

[Synnical]

4. I concur

SCOTUS will rule that it is "symbolic" and not religious. Sets a bad precedent. IMO, FFRF should wait for a more sympathetic court. Of course, that will take 30-40 years.

Sigh.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[vixengrl]

5. I think the present SCOTUS has already been "squishy"

about allowing Ten Commandments monumnets where it's "presented in a historical context", so I can see them coming up with a reason to allow Prayer Day. Something along the lines of "but atheists can still observe a moment of silence" (or, like, all the silence they can stand, you know?)

And yet it really is pushing religion--it reminds me of those old cinema recommendations to "Attend the church of your choice on Sunday". (I can't find a link on-line to such a thing, but I dimly know it existed--not in my time, but in the recent memory of people yet living, I swear).

(Are there any alter kakers who actually remember this or am I making things up again?)

[charlie]

6. You remember right

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26pQNKEOXjo#t=4m40s

[vixengrl]

7. Oh THANK YOU--I didn't think I was hallucinating it.

I like how it endorses both "church" and "Sunday"--like Judeo-Christianity accounts for everything. I think I might just link that up to my blog.

[charlie]

8. Here's an ad you'd see on TV

This one is charmingly creepy.

http://www.archive.org/details/Some1964PublicServiceAnnouncements

(Unfortunately, I don't know a way to hotlink a time segment in Internet Archive vids, you'll have to forward it to 5:20 when it loads)

It's an ad about the travails of marriage -- the screaming kids, the unpaid bills, the moment when hubby curls his fist and makes a "why, I oughta" face because his shirt is over-starched (no, really!). Then the voiceover pitches religion, saying... well, he doesn't say much of anything, except maybe couples who have "faith" have more faith in each other. Or something. So, to "put religion in your home, or keep it there, worship this week in your church or synagogue. Find the strength for your life."

Edit: Hey, your blog's a fun read! Put it in your sig, it's worth sharing.

[Synnical]

17. Thanks for the link

That was amazingly interesting! Didn't know the Way Back Machine Site also archived videos.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[awoke_in_2003]

26. We have a billboard...

with a man in tears, hands in the air, eyes upward. It says no problem is too big for god. It is called "The Upper Room". Every time I see it I start laughing because of a scene from the movie "Life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxP1Z-a2Yn4&feature=related

[Soylent Brice]

9. this should be in GD.

[realisticphish]

10. no, no

because then, you see, we'd be shoving atheism down other people's throats. it would be disrespectful.

[sybylla]

11. LOL

At least I would if it weren't so sad that people are threatened by the mere existence of Atheists.

[realisticphish]

12. "Atheists are going to burn in hell"

Now, calm down, we must be tolerant.

"I don't believe in a god"

Shut the fuck up, you fundamentalist Atheist scum

[awoke_in_2003]

27. "I'd rather laugh with the sinners...

then cry with the saints, the sinners are much more fun" Billy Joel

[DavidDvorkin]

13. In LBN, where I also posted this news, the inevitable

"I'm an atheist but I don't see the harm in such public celebrations" post showed up. That poster also told me to be happy and hug a puppy and focus on real and serious issues.

I dunno. To me, any weakening of the Wall of Separation is a very real and serious issue.

[Soylent Brice]

14. agreed. this issue deserves just as much light as all those Palin threads get.

[Synnical]

15. I saw that post, checked some of the posters other postings

I think that is an unhappy person. Never has anything positive to say on DU. Just seems to like to challenge people, which is fine, but, seems unhappy to me.

Just sayin'.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[realisticphish]

16. "hug a puppy!"

"it worked taking down Jim Crow Laws!"

oh wait...

not to compare the issues, but I get so damn sick of people who claim any issue that they don't particularly care about "isn't important enough."

Then that kind of person is, for example, a die-hard anti-GM foods person, and considers that to be as or more important than any other issue.

[laconicsax]

18. Obama's going ahead with it anyway.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2010/04/obama-will-still-issue-national-day-of-prayer-proclamation/1

He's really good at being a big disappointment.

[FiveGoodMen]

19. I guess a 'constitutional scholar' knows the best ways of doing what's UNconstitutional

and getting away with it.

[ChadwickHenryWard]

20. Don't I know it.

I'm still mad over that whole "ordering the murder of an American citizen" thing. While Bush reserved the right to end the life of any of us Plebs as he saw fit, so far as we know he never gave the order. Obama has moved us even further into our Orwellian national nightmare. So far, he's continued our two illegal wars, not to mention our unlawful UAV drone attacks in Pakistan, continued indefinite detention without legal charge, failed to ban waterboarding which can only lead us to deduce that it is continuing to be used, and continued warrantless wiretapping. I don't know whether or not he's ended extraordinary rendition, but I won't hold my breath. All this is not to mention that he has taken up the Republican idea of forcing all Americans to buy into a piece-of-shit piecemeal private system that is the laughing stock of the rest of the world, instead of recognizing the government's responsibility to provide for the welfare of its citizens, as in any halfway-decent country. I'm almost tempted to say that, in the realm of Constitutionality at least, Obama so far is worse than Bush.

[Synnical]

21. K, is there anything you're not mad about?

And what are you doing to change it? And WTF are you talking about "ordering the murder of an American citizen"?

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[ChadwickHenryWard]

23. I'm not sure what that means.

How am I supposed to feel about that? The continued erosion of our Constitution (by a supposed liberal and noted Constitutional scholar, no less) is a serious issue. Your tone implies you feel differently about these problems, but I feel very strongly that our rights to due process and jury trial, and our protections from unreasonable searches and torture are essential for a free society. However, there isn't anything I can do. These policies are decided by the President and the Supreme Court, neither of which deigned to consult me. Citizens have no direct route by which they can influence the Supreme Court, though I did vote in the last election for the Presidential candidate I felt would serve our nation best. Needless to say, it was a considerable disappointment. To be honest, I'm not aware of any way in which normal American citizens can truly make themselves heard. In fact, it's part of the neoliberal paradigm that a nation's political spectrum should be as narrow as possible, and where possible limited to cosmetic issues. This issue is the perfect example. When there is no serious debate on the issue, and the courts are stacked against it, what can a citizen do to secure his rights?

The man I am referring to is http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/a/anwar_al_awlaki/index.html">Anwar al-Awlaki. He hasn't even been formally charged with a crime. The military simply has orders to find him and kill him. This is perhaps the most disturbing in a long line of disturbing events. Not to put too fine a point on it, but when the right to not be eliminated by the state completely absent of any kind of criminal charge, justification or explanation is no longer intact, what else is there? That's when it starts to become scary.

[Synnical]

24. Thanks for the background and the link

Sorry you feel powerless. I know it feels pointless to write all those letters to Congress Critters, but it is truly the only recourse we have. And every now and again it works. Take Governor Crist here in Florida . . . he vetoed a bill that was hugely unpopular with teachers, but supported by his Repuke constituents.

And I agree with many points you made. Staying silent does not help, though. Posting on the internet is all well and good for venting . . .

Hugs,
Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[ZombieHorde]

22. Woot! nt

[and-justice-for-all]

25. Outstanding!!!

There is not need for federal recognition of religion, it is unconstitutional.

This does not mean that people can not go and do their religious nonsense, it just means that there is not to be any federal acknowledgment of it.