Separation of church and state

I've been presented with a situation recently that's got me worked up about this topic. A friend of mine who attends the public school I graduated from is getting an article about him in the school newspaper. It's supposed to be a short biography sort of thing and contain age, where they were born, etc., and also their religion.

My friend is an self-proclaimed atheist and this has caused a few problems. From my understanding of the matter, the teacher of the journalism class or whatever the hell it is told them they could do any student in the school and the decision came to my friend. The people that know he's an atheist said something about it and it caused some sort of problem and the teacher got angry. She said they could do the article on him, but they shouldn't mention his atheism.

I've been trying to convince the people in charge to do it anyway, because I think it's important to defend your beliefs. I also got to thinking that they'd probably just stop it from being published just because it said he's an atheist.

I don't know the Superme Court ruling on the matter, but that would seem wrong to me. I live in Arkansas, and I don't know if any state laws have any bearing on it either. I'm hoping someone can give me some advice on the matter, because I don't enjoy seeing religious discrimination happen. Thanks.

[gmail]

In short whats happening is obviously wrong. Separation of church and state, especially lately, doesn't mean shit. Look at abortion and gay marriage. Anytime a controversial decision arises, the christians always get their bullshit say, and it ALWAYS has an effect on the outcome.

It's because Christians are the majority. Thats how democracy works. If you live in a town with a lot of bible thumpers like i do (kentucky. ugh) Then telling the world that you're athiest probably wouldn't be such a good idea.

I don't see why he feels the need to defend his beliefs, because as far as i can tell they aren't being attacked. What a lot of people fail to realize is that theres a surefire way to avoid getting discriminated against based on your religion. Keeping it to yourself.

Even the current gov't tries to force religion upon us.

Quote from http://www.infidels.org/library/mode...nts.html#usais : (this is the first george bush, btw)

The following exchange took place at the Chicago airport between Robert I. Sherman of American Atheist Press and George Bush, on August 27 1987. Sherman is a fully accredited reporter, and was present by invitation as a member of the press corps. The Republican presidential nominee was there to announce federal disaster relief for Illinois. The discussion turned to the presidential primary:

RS:

"What will you do to win the votes of Americans who are atheists?"

GB:

"I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me."

RS:

"Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?"

GB:

"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."

RS:

"Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?"

GB:

"Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists."

UPI reported on May 8, 1989, that various atheist organizations were still angry over the remarks.

The exchange appeared in the Boulder Daily Camera on Monday February 27, 1989. It can also be found in "Free Inquiry" magazine, Fall 1988 issue, Volume 8, Number 4, page 16.

On October 29, 1988, Mr. Sherman had a confrontation with Ed Murnane, co-chairman of the Bush-Quayle '88 Illinois campaign. This concerned a lawsuit Mr. Sherman had filed to stop the Community Consolidated School District 21 (Chicago, Illinois) from forcing his first-grade atheist son to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States as "one nation under God" (Bush's phrase). The following conversation took place:

RS:

"American Atheists filed the Pledge of Allegiance lawsuit yesterday. Does the Bush campaign have an official response to this filing?"

EM:

"It's bullshit."

RS:

"What is bullshit?"

EM:

"Everything that American Atheists does, Rob, is bullshit."

RS:

"Thank you for telling me what the official position of the Bush campaign is on this issue."

EM:

"You're welcome."

After Bush's election, American Atheists wrote to Bush asking him to retract his statement. On February 21st 1989, C. Boyden Gray, Counsel to the President, replied on White House stationery that Bush substantively stood by his original statement, and wrote:

"As you are aware, the President is a religious man who neither supports atheism nor believes that atheism should be unnecessarily encouraged or supported by the government."

[Zman]

quote:Originally posted by gmail:

Anytime a controversial decision arises, the christians always get their bullshit say, and it ALWAYS has an effect on the outcome.

they shouldn't get a say?

[among_the_living]

The president said and i quote.

"im working to get common sense judges who know our morals are dirived from god"

something along those lines.

The church, christian church that is....IS the state....realise this.

I suppose that is the way things go. I just want to know if it's completely fruitless for me to fight for this.

As for the defending beliefs thing, it was in reference to me, not him. As in, my belief that keeping the article from being published for that sole reason is wrong.

quote:"I don't see why he feels the need to defend his beliefs, because as far as i can tell they aren't being attacked. What a lot of people fail to realize is that theres a surefire way to avoid getting discriminated against based on your religion. Keeping it to yourself."

Staying quiet about differing viewpoints doesn't get things changed; not everybody thinks the Christian way of doing things is the best idea ever.

Yes, and if you don't think that by all means don't be one, However you can't expect to flaunt your beliefs, especially when they are the minority, and not take flak for it. In short, If you feel that the you want to change something as delicate as religion, you can't do so without forcing your beliefs on Christians, but even then, I think trying to convert people is wrong. Religion should be personal.

If you don't think the Christian way is the best, then no ones making you live it. But people should come to that conclusion on their own.

[among_the_living]

quote:Originally posted by nametag:

Yes, and if you don't think that by all means don't be one, However you can't expect to flaunt your beliefs, especially when they are the minority, and not take flak for it. In short, If you feel that the you want to change something as delicate as religion, you can't do so without forcing your beliefs on Christians, but even then, I think trying to convert people is wrong. Religion should be personal.

If you don't think the Christian way is the best, then no ones making you live it. But people should come to that conclusion on their own.

When other peoples beliefs inpart onto my life and my rights it tends to then become non-personal.