Quote:
Originally Posted by transplant99
What are you talking about? No one is making them "conform" to anything. Unless the spoken word is "making to conform", in which case I sure hope they stifle the valedictorian at the same time!
The ONLY thing they have to do...is sit quietly and listen to whatever is being said...no one is making them believe it and no one is making them live it...as far as peers go at any rate.
There is a thing called common sense that gets tossed out in all these debates...everyone is free to do and think as they wish regardless of whatever else someone else says. In fact you and I are doing that very thing right now. I am not harmed by your differences and your vociferous defending of them, and vice-versa.
See?
|
I actually have to agree that it's pretty silly for people to get worked up over a prayer at a ceremony, or a religious inscription on a public statue. I wish everyone, could just get over themselves and appreciate other people and beliefs, in most cases, like this one, it's so unobtrusive it's silly. Just tune it out if you don't like it.
However, as rights and freedoms go, it is technically wrong. It's much easier and morally correct, to remove an activity that some people might find offensive, than to remove the people who have a right to be there.
I think the big problem is not cases like this, but what they could lead to. Who then dictates how many prayers are said how often? Then, when does a nice little tradition turn into a form of bullying or indoctrination.
As I said before, in this example, I really get down on people who are complaining. And most situations like this do fall under your common sense rule.
However, because society is the way it is, you just need to have a blanket rule. And therefore, if someone is offended by the prayer, you have to get rid of it.
The common sense rule can easily be applied in many cases, on every side, and it's not only the faithful that get the short stick sometimes.