Freedom Of Religion

@fmf said
Well, they are entitled to their opinion. I don't see it as being much of an issue.

Well good for you.

@pb1022 said
What if a Christian wants to rent billboard space next to a highway that says “God is Great - John 3:16” and an atheist who drives on that highway every day objects.

How does "an atheist" doing this affect the way that a healthy society and state organizes itself - in your view - in terms of its rights and principles?

@fmf said
How does "an atheist" doing this affect the way that a healthy society and state organizes itself - in your view - in terms of its rights and principles?

I dunno.

@pb1022 said
I dunno. I don't know how atheists think.

Then why did you assert that "quite a few atheists would have a problem with that" on page 1.

@fmf said

@pb1022 said
I dunno. I don't know how atheists think.

Then why did you assert that "quite a few atheists would have a problem with that" on page 1.

Because atheists have a problem with God being in the United States’ Pledge of Allegiance and have a problem with a moment of silence in schools and have a problem with all sorts of things no sensible person would have a problem with.

@pb1022 said
Because atheists have a problem with God being in the United States’ Pledge of Allegiance and have a problem with a moment of silence in schools and have a problem with all sorts of things no sensible person would have a problem with.

I would have thought most atheists wouldn't give two hoots about those things because most atheists are sensible people ~ as are most theists. But hang on, what are you asserting that "atheists have a problem with..." X, Y and Z when you said "I don't know how atheists think"?

@fmf said
I would have thought most atheists wouldn't give two hoots about those things because most atheists are sensible people ~ as are most theists. But hang on, what are you asserting that "atheists have a problem with..." X, Y and Z when you said "I don't know how atheists think"?

Because in the examples I cited, they made their objections publicly known.

Come on, FMF. Brew a pot of coffee.

@pb1022 said
Because in the examples I cited, they made their objections publicly known.

So when you said that you don't know "how atheists think", what you really meant was that you do know "atheists" think? You also appear to be saying that "atheists" tend not to be "sensible people" which seems to be another rather fatuous generalization.

@fmf said
So when you said that you don't know "how atheists think", what you really meant was that you do know "atheists" think? You also appear to be saying that "atheists" tend not to be "sensible people" which seems to be another rather fatuous generalization.

I agree with Psalm 14:1 when it comes to atheists.

Anyway, I gotta go and I think KallyKay wants to speak with you.

Happy trails 🐎 🤠 👋

@pb1022 said
I agree with Psalm 14:1 when it comes to atheists.

So you base what you know about atheists in the C21st, not on your interactions and discussions with them, but on some little bit of poetry written thousands of years ago?

@pb1022 said
I don’t think you can have both.

What if a Christian wants to rent billboard space next to a highway that says “God is Great - John 3:16” and an atheist who drives on that highway every day objects.

How do you thread that needle, between a Christian’s freedom to express himself and what he believes and an atheist’s freedom from that Christian’s expression?

Not a problem. This case is covered under freedom of speech and press. The atheist has the same rights to put up his own billboards.

@fmf said
People talk about freedom of religion and it seems to make good sense to me as a right and principle underpinning a healthy society and state. No controversy there, I think.

But some people also talk about freedom FROM Religion. What would such a freedom entail exactly in a society or state, and what rights [and responsibilities] and principles would need to apply?

Good topic. Freedom of religion means the state has no authority, and should not have the power, to compel people to accept one religion or sect rather than another. This is based on prior experiences in Europe, for example when King Henry separated from the Roman Catholic Church, set himself up as head of the CoE, persecuted Catholics, seized their assets, etc that is, the state interfered in subjects’ choices of religious sects/variants.

Freedom from religion means that the state should not have the authority or power to interfere in whether citizens adhere to any religion whatever, or discriminate against non-religionists.

@fmf said

But some people also talk about freedom FROM Religion. What would such a freedom entail exactly in a society or state, and what rights [and responsibilities] and principles would need to apply?

We have a head of state in the uk that is head of the Anglican religion. Of the 771 appointed (no fear if any democracy there’d then) upper house 23 are bishops. So if you were going to make us religion free that lot would have to go I guess ?

Now here is a little snippet, which sadly I can’t remember exactly when I bumped into it, sometime in the last two or three years, could have have been Nostradamus, if not something like that (I go through loads in my travels). Anyway, it/they/he forecast both the end of the papacy and the British Monarchy this year.

For the record I wish nobody any harm, do neither vote or have a political position.