17th April 2010
“Mandating common worship is inappropriate for public institutions made up of people from different world views and faith backgrounds. It is also a misrepresentation of what worship actually is. Worship is a freely offered act of faith arising from a believing community. It is not something that can be imposed or required of everybody.”
Simon Barrow
April 17th, 2010 at 2:34
it’s so sad that people cannot get such a simple concept through their puny little heads. trying to bring back god into secular affairs is pure fascism. it’s called freedom of religion AND freedom from religion.
April 17th, 2010 at 11:06
I find the act of religious worship humiliating and degrading. Like animal slaughter and sodomy, I know it goes on, I agree that it should be allowed in a free society but I do not want to see it and I do not want my children to witness it. I know it is only my opinion, a personal view but theists need to know that there are people who find some of their activities disgusting and offensive.
April 17th, 2010 at 13:31
Not sure why the author went on so long. He could have stopped at the first line.
“Mandating common worship is inappropriate for public institutions.”
April 17th, 2010 at 14:05
The US National Day of Prayer was ruled unconstitutional on Thursday by a federal judge in Wisconsin.
April 17th, 2010 at 14:49
I for one, totally agree with todays quote.Oh and Steve public washrooms aren’t used by everyone either.Making things public and trying to force people to attend is something else.The public part,is for those who would like to attend.
April 17th, 2010 at 14:52
Alavi, I agree with you and you do have that freedom.
April 17th, 2010 at 15:30
Why do they call it, “worship?” It seems to me that an “all-powerful, all-knowing” being would find such a thing silly, yet many would say the the christian god demands of his minions. Seems a bit odd.
April 17th, 2010 at 15:59
Holy Smoke you crack me up! Your concept of all religion is, of an odd nature.What seems to you is just that ( IT SEEMS ) you know no better.You don’t believe so just leave it.God will not die or vanish no matter who believes and who don’t.
April 17th, 2010 at 17:03
Tech, I am glad that you agree with the AQOTD, and I appreciate your comment. It is the action of the state that was addressed in this quote, though, not our individual choice.
So, for the state, there is a legitimate concern for public safety. Under the right circumstances it is not only proper to provide public restrooms, it is clearly the state’s responsibility to do so as well. By law they must not only provide washrooms, but they must make them accessible to everyone.
On the other hand, common worship, whether mandated or not, flies right into the face of the American doctrine of separation of church and state. The government has no legitimate business in providing for superstitious behavior, whether those behaviors are commonly shared or not.
If you choose to worship, you can do so. If you choose not to, that is also your right. For the government to step in and provide a forum, platform or celebration on behalf of any religious behavior is clearly always going to leave out the interests of multiple minorities, in addition to acting as a patent affront to reason.
And, as far as your comment to Holysmokes, you need to understand that just as his concept of religion might seem “of an odd nature”, that is exactly the point: Your religion seems “of an odd nature” to us as well.
And to those who read this from the rest of the world, sorry if this posting was too US centered.
April 17th, 2010 at 17:38
Well Tech, I’d like to say it’s odd that you didn’t bother to explain WHY your god requires worship, but I have come to the realization that you have no honest answers, or valid explanations for anything that you claim to believe in. How about a few legitimate answers for a change?
April 17th, 2010 at 18:01
How about you start looking for yourself and allow God to show you as he showed me. Knock and the door will be open seek and you will find ask and it will indeed be given.Only you can do that for yourself.
April 17th, 2010 at 18:04
That is precisely the sort of nonsense I have come to expect from you. How about speaking in plain English instead of that foolish double talk? It’s a simple question: Why does your god REQUIRE worship?
April 17th, 2010 at 19:38
You know Tech, a perfectly acceptable answer is that it is simply what you choose to believe.
You cannot prove it, so I understand why you are hesitant to try, but that does not disallow your personal choice to believe whatever you want.
But please, if you are going to speak about a god like one exists, you ought to at least play fair and demonstrate some kind of tangible evidence. Otherwise, it is just another ‘mandate’ to believe.
I have never met an atheist or agnostic who was not willing to listen to a reality based explanation or claim. I also have never met an atheist or agnostic who cared to be god-botted with rote recitations from the bible or koran. So please, and I am sincere, if you have any demonstrable proofs whatsoever, I would love to hear them.
April 17th, 2010 at 22:58
What I don’t understand is if a religious person prays directly to “God’s ear” and full expects his God to fix his personal illness or helpthe roses grow on he back fence, what does it serve to traipse to a building with others who have a direct route to God’s Ear, and — distract God by praying en masses? In hundreds of buildings filled with thousnds of intimate prayers FYEO. Isn’t mass prayer creating static,giving God a helluva headache? Shouldn’t Believers simply pray on their own time in their own space?
April 18th, 2010 at 0:48
Rozmarija Grauds:
I think that it may be simple economics: If the convinced don’t go to wish en mass, then the preachers/pushers don’t get paid and the convinced don’t get their fix.
April 18th, 2010 at 1:19
steve,
You are wasting your time with Tech. To his credit, he has in the past admitted that he has no evidence. I can respect that to some extent, however he seems to continually tell us what his god is or is not going to do, why we should become believers, why we should repent and so on. It’s those sort of comments and the vague double talk that I find ridiculous. The problem is that they based on absolutely nothing …as if he pulls these comments out of thin air. When you corner him on this nonsense, he simply goes dormant for the rest of the day.
April 18th, 2010 at 3:15
Dear Holysmokes,
“Why does your god REQUIRE worship”
God require worship coz;
1.To make you realise that you are disdain & only a slave instead of having a boastful behaviour now.
2.Starting with worship one is developing some sort of a bon with the divine power,a two way communication,feels signs of God, be grateful.
April 18th, 2010 at 3:32
Dear Rozmarija Grauds ,
God is the greatest listener, for if he’s not he would not have created the various hearing capability of living creatures. So everybody can talk straight to God.He can hear you even if you whisper or talk to your heart.You are talking about God heaving a headache just to hear everybody talking at the same time.Is that much of a headache or creating & running the universe governing its systems pose more headaches???
April 18th, 2010 at 3:36
Atheists=Gay=retard biological norm=does not help in reproduction=could’nt be trusted lots
April 18th, 2010 at 13:42
#1, #2
April 19th, 2010 at 1:01
To Hell with your #1, #2 Steve….!
April 19th, 2010 at 22:26
Mandating common worship or not, this demands a rally big #1 and #2 for the Troll.