Friday, February 6, 2009

Religious Oppression. Another Perfectly Good Reason to Filibuster?

By no means am I a religious person. An agnostic at best and an atheist at worst, from a Christian prospective. I do fine religion on balance a very good thing. I just don't have that kind of faith and would feel walking past prayer groups uncomfortable.

However exposure to all kinds of ideas and belief is absolutely essential. There should be very little obstruction of religious expression. In fact I have been for a long time for teaching religious philosophy (not faith) in schools. It is a key part of this world and all must have an understanding.

In the bill, I wish i had the page. Via Fox

"It shall be unlawful for any public secondary school which receives federal financial assistance and which has a limited open forum to deny equal access or a fair opportunity to, or discriminate against, any students who wish to conduct a meeting within that limited open forum on the basis of the religious, political, philosophical, or other content of the speech at such meetings."

Via Gateway Pundit

There is a list of senators who voted against the amendment.

It all sounds fishy to me so on further looking Right Wing Watch tries to explain why they are wrong. From the bill:
PROHIBITED USES OF FUNDS.—No funds awarded under this section may be used for—
(A) the maintenance of systems, equipment, or facilities, including maintenance associated with any permissible uses of funds described in paragraph (1);
(B) modernization, renovation, or repair of stadiums or other facilities primarily used for athletic contests or exhibitions or other events for which admission is charged to the general public;
(C) modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities—
(i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or
(ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission; or
(D) construction of new facilities.
RWW "What the bill says is that if a facility's use is primarily religious, stimulus funds can't be used modernize, renovate, or repair it - not that groups will be barred from hosting a Bible study in the student union if the university receives said funding."
It Says "OR". Is praying and bible study a form of worship? Yes? It looks pretty clear to me. Why didn't the religious part get worded like the provision on sports.
The state is not god and god is not the state. Filibuster the religious oppressions.

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