Atheist intolerance?

[Kilgore Trout]

As well as the freedom to express our differences.

So, you agree that it is important that she took advantage of her freedom to express her difference, while simultaneously upholding the Constitution. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Nakosis]

So, you agree that it is important that she took advantage of her freedom to express her difference, while simultaneously upholding the Constitution. That's all I'm saying.

To her, yes. To the world at large...

Well, it's a perception thing. Obviously you and a few others got inspired by it. To act, to make the world a better place. We'll see.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

To her, yes. To the world at large...

So now everything we do has to be important to the world at large?

 

[Nakosis]

So now everything we do has to be important to the world at large?

Not at all. In fact I suspect the majority of what I do is not important to you.
But that's the thing and maybe tolerance is overrated. Seems she has an anti-Christian agenda.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Not at all. In fact I suspect the majority of what I do is not important to you.

The majority would be an understatement.

But that's the thing and maybe tolerance is overrated. Seems she has an anti-Christian agenda.

Seems the Christians have an anti-secular agenda. Seems tolerance is needed all around. Then again, what they were doing was unconstitutional, so taking down the banner should have been a matter of course, and is a separate issue.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Have you seen her Blog? It bashes Christians pretty good.
I don't see any reason to think bashing Christianity is not part of her motivation.

So yeah, good term... "bashing".

I've heard her interviewed, and she came across as a thoughtful and brave young woman, not someone out to "bash" anyone.

I hadn't looked at your blog until you mentioned it. I just gave it a glance and couldn't see anything I would call "bashing". Could you give a specific example? A quote and a link to some specific thing she's said or written that you consider objectionable?

 

[waitasec]

As well as the freedom to express our differences.

yes, as well as the freedom to express our differences..

the difference here is that one girl expressed her differences without resorting to harassment
the group of people (parents included) expressed their lack of tact.

 

[Nakosis]

I've heard her interviewed, and she came across as a thoughtful and brave young woman, not someone out to "bash" anyone.

I hadn't looked at your blog until you mentioned it. I just gave it a glance and couldn't see anything I would call "bashing". Could you give a specific example? A quote and a link to some specific thing she's said or written that you consider objectionable?

Ok, then just a difference of opinion.

Nothing objectionable to me. I bash Christians sometimes. I guess I don't see a prayer on the wall as anything significant enough to cause the animosity that has been caused. I think she's cause more problems for herself then benefited from it's removal. But I also suspect she enjoys it.

"Bashing Christians".

 

[Nakosis]

yes as well as the freedom to express differences.
the difference here is that one girl expressed her differences without resorting to harassment
the group of people (parents included) expressed their lack of tact.

A civil suit is a harassment. She went to the school supervisory board but got voted down. Now she's harassing them with a judge.

You know it the Clergy of RI that is asking their followers to be tolerant of her views. So maybe some good will come out of it.

 

[waitasec]

Ok, then just a difference of opinion.

Nothing objectionable to me. I bash Christians sometimes. I guess I don't see a prayer on the wall as anything significant enough to cause the animosity that has been caused. I think she's cause more problems for herself then benefited from it's removal. But I also suspect she enjoys it.

"Bashing Christians".

but that's you. she is another individual who feels different about it.
i applaud her actions. she did a very brave thing in the face of adversity.

it's such a strange thing to say that those who defend christianity would be an adversary for someone who stands up for their beliefs.

 

[waitasec]

A civil suit is a harassment. She went to the school supervisory board but got voted down. Now she's harassing them with a judge.

but being threatened with her life is not the same as being threatened with a law suit

You know it the Clergy of RI that is asking their followers to be tolerant of her views. So maybe some good will come out of it.

friction and tension is good because after that comes release.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

A civil suit is a harassment. She went to the school supervisory board but got voted down. Now she's harassing them with a judge.

You have a very strange view of harassment.

A lawsuit is only harassment if it's vexatious and unfounded. I've seen no reason to think she was being vexatious, and the ruling shows that it wasn't unfounded.

 

[Nakosis]

but being threatened with her life is not the same as being threatened with a law suit

Really? Wow... Who'd of thought. Thanks for pointing that out.

friction and tension is good because after that comes release.

Hopefully the release won't be too messy.
But yeah, she can be the poster child for the religious leadership to teach them religious folks stuff like forgiveness and tolerance.

 

[Nakosis]

You have a very strange view of harassment.

A lawsuit is only harassment if it's vexatious and unfounded. I've seen no reason to think she was being vexatious, and the ruling shows that it wasn't unfounded.

Ok, well then again a difference of opinion. I find law suits pretty harassing.

Actually more harassing then death threats. A lot easier to ignore than death threats. I figure if people are going to threaten over the internet they probably don't have the guts or are not stupid enough to actually go through with it.

 

[CaptainXeroid]

Based on my experience with atheists, this student is most likely a trouble maker who thinks that the universe revolves around her opinions and that others should bow to her will.:sorry1:

Anyone who's read the Federalist Papers knows that the intent of the 'separation of church and state' clause was to prevent the government from destroying religion...not to wipe out expressions of faith. It's sad that many atheists don't understand our history.:help:

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Based on my experience with atheists, this student is most likely a trouble maker who thinks that the universe revolves around her opinions and that others should bow to her will.:sorry1:

Yes... we have a group of people demanding that a prayer from their religion decorate the walls of the school, but it's the person pointing out that this is inappropriate is the one trying to get the universe to revolve around her. Please.

Anyone who's read the Federalist Papers knows that the intent of the 'separation of church and state' clause was to prevent the government from destroying religion...not to wipe out expressions of faith. It's sad that many atheists don't understand our history.:help:

I'm not an expert on them, but AFAIK, the Federalist Papers weren't exactly big on the Bill of Rights in general.

BTW: does "your history" include any Thomas Paine?

Edit: also, I think that while you're probably right that separation of church and state was more about protecting church than protecting state, a major part of this - and I think this was very much part of the Founders' intent - was to prevent any one religious group from gaining too much government power, for fear that they might use that power against other religious groups. IOW, out of regard for churches, they intended from the outset to keep churches out of government.

Don't forget that the American Founding Fathers came out of a British history where religious influence on government meant persecution for the denominations that weren't in power. I think they were very concerned about preventing this in their new country, and that they tried to address this by endeavouring to keep religious influence away from government.

 

[waitasec]

Really? Wow... Who'd of thought. Thanks for pointing that out.

you seem to be defending the threats made to her person when saying

A civil suit is a harassment.

in response to my pointing out that the threats to her were of a personal nature.
you remember, "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will not hurt me" so if someone harasses someone with violence you equate that to a civil law suit, really?

Hopefully the release won't be too messy.

hopefully it will. the messier the better as far as i'm concerned.

But yeah, she can be the poster child for the religious leadership to teach them religious folks stuff like forgiveness and tolerance.

or the poster child for not being afraid of the mob mentality.

 

[Nakosis]

you seem to be defending the threats made to her person when saying

I'm not defending any threats.

in response to my pointing out that the threats to her were of a personal nature.
you remember, "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will not hurt me" so if someone harasses someone with violence you equate that to a civil law suit, really?

Actually I just said I find civil suits harassing. The rest of it is all you.

hopefully it will. the messier the better as far as i'm concerned.
or the poster child for not being afraid of the mob mentality.

I suspect she feels the same. About the messier the better. However I don't think she was ever afraid. I do see, expect some benefit from the whole thing now. I think the religious folks in RI might learn to be a little more tolerant of atheists thanks to the intelligent response of their church leadership.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

A civil suit is a harassment. She went to the school supervisory board but got voted down. Now she's harassing them with a judge.

Yeah. And Rosa Parks harrassed the Montgomery City Fathers.

Back in the late 40s a white man married a black woman and they were forced to leave their state. They harrassed the heck out of officialdom... all the way to the Supreme Court.

So I'm glad that our atheist friend is harrassing the supervisory board. Evildoers should be harrassed, don't you agree?

 

[Kathryn]

I don't think the people angry at Jessica Ahlquist are asking for tolerance; I think they're asking for preferential treatment for their religion.

That's my point completely - I'm calling their hand on it. They would CLAIM that they wanted their religion to be tolerated, but they damn sure probably wouldn't tolerate another religion's banners.