ACLU and NAACP tell us 1st ammendment is good, but.....?

Question

When they want to get there point across about things like bashing GOD they scream 1st ammendment rights. But if I want to even say just one word...GOD. They flip saying our ammendments protect us from hearing that word. What gives.

Answer 1

You have a poor understanding of the issues.  (Or maybe you're only listening to the people who want to violate the First Amendment, so they attack it at every opportunity.  You should definitely get your information differently than you are.)

The First Amendment only constrains the government.  You can talk about God all you want, you just can't use the power of the government to preach.  If you want to teach your religion in school, it just has to be a private school.  You can't use your city council to advance your religion (because YOUR religion is going to be wrong according to SOMEONE ELSE'S religion, and the government is wisely prohibited from advancing one religion over another).

Think about that for a minute.  If your state government decided to promote Buddhism or Islam over whatever you believe, wouldn't you be really hurt?  Maybe you'd use violence in response.  The Founding Fathers had the example of the English Civil War to look at, where a lot of death and destruction was caused by exactly that kind of thing.  They decided that it was too dangerous for government to be allowed to play favorites between religions, so we have the First Amendment.  You should be thankful for it; you may even owe your life to it.

I suspect that your position on this issue comes from propaganda, or lies, that you've been fed.  These lies play well with people who don't know the facts, but they fail when examined carefully.  This is why things like "Intelligent Design" fail among scientists and in the courts; they are religious dogma and have no connection to factual, verifiable, testable truth.

Answer 2

You can say "God" anywhere you like. The Government cannot support a religion. That's the way the US was founded.

Sorry if you don't like it. I suppose if you don't like it, you can find yourself a nice theocracy to live in. But the US, as defined by its founders - like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin - who both believed in a higher power, but were not traditional Christians - is a nation founded on the freedom of and from religion.

So, go say "God" whereever you would like. Just don't ask your governor, mayor, President, Congressperson to require that everyone believe in or respect your "God".

By the way, the NAACP is a predominantly Christian organization. And the ACLU has frequently defended the rights of Christians (e.g. http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/gen/10925prs20020108.html?ht=christmas%20christmas )

So, take a chill and let the world be as free as you are. Because I highly doubt anyone from the NAACP or ACLU has every personally told you how to practice your religion.

Answer 3

Why do you feel they bash God?? Because they fight for pray to stay out of schools? That's not bashing God. You have every right to say God anywhere you choose. But because many faiths attend the public schools, pray does not belong there. If you want to pray in school then you should go to a Private Christian school. That is your right. Everyone in the public schools does not have to bend to the will of the religious right. Jesus said" When you talk to my Father go into your closet and pray, not in the streets and on the corners like these Pharisees" If you believe the Bible is the word of God why don't you practice it, instead of forcing it down every ones throat???

Answer 4

Well, that's WHY the 1st Amendment is so special, it protects anything we have to say, except yelling "fire" in a crowded theater or in a public space where someone can get hurt from our actions. Its a great law, that's why its the 1st amendment.

I'd rather have it used and abused than not there at all.

Answer 5

I have never known of a case where either organization "bashed" God. The ACLU fairly applies its judgement between the two rights of "freedom of speech" and "freedom of religion"

Answer 6

The issue you are talking about concerns the freedom of religion portion of the 1st ammendment which states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". This leads to the separation of church and state.

The purpose is to prevent the government from establishing an official church, then denying rights and privileges to people who do not belong. The Puritans, Pilgrims and Quakers had all settled in the colonies to escape religious persecution. Freedom of religion was the answer to prevent such persecution from occuring in the US.

Because the US is a pluralistic society and not all religious faiths in the US are based on Christianity (Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists) and some people do not believe at all religious references are being removed from government institutions. This is intended to protect minorities from perceived persecution. While it is widely accepted that this country was founded on Christian principles, it was also founded on the secular principle that no one should be discriminated against because of religion.

Before anyone shouts that the Christians are being discriminated against, no one restricts anyone from attending the religious services of their choice. If God and the 10 Commandments are being removed from schools and court houses, likewise they are not being replaced with Allah and the 4 Pillars of Islam or with Buddha or Krishna or any other religious trappings.

You are free to talk about God outside of government institutions. There are no legal restrictions to publishing books on God. There are no legal restrictions on making movies based on God and the Bible. There are no legal restrictions on religious programming on radio and TV. There are no legal restrictions on attending the church of your choice.

The restrictions are only in government related institions to reduce the likelihood that someone will claim that a decision, ruling or action was discriminatory because of personal religious belief. In other words that the majority is not persecuting or tyranizing the minority. That is supposed to be one of our founding principles and a source of our national strength.

Most of life is lived outside of government institutions. Nothing prevents you from bringing your children up with Christian values and a strong belief in God. It is your responsibility to raise your children and provide them with knowledge of right and wrong, morals, values and respect. Government's responsibility is to provide them with the basic minimum education required to be productive citizens.

Answer 7

many faiths remember on angels. no longer all of them are accepting of a similar theological figures. So, if those carols well known the worship of one deity over yet another, i think that that is. yet, my structure rights are infringed upon frequently, so i do not see any aspect in combating hostile to it. In a mundane usa, that is both be extra logical to contain no faith into the college device or enable the non secular observance of any and all religions contained in the college device. And, out of both options, allowing no faith into the college device makes extra experience. in the different case, Muslim, Jewish and Catholic little ones will be combating like we were in Israel.

Answer 8

NAACP? I am not aware of them ever trying to suppress religious speech.

I'll give you the ACLU though, they have caused children to be expelled and teachers to be fired. Then tell their own members not to speak against them.

Answer 9

Like the driver who wants his rightful half of the road.



Right down the middle.

Answer 10

They believe in freedom of speech, but there's a catch... only when it supports what they want to say.

Simple ways of explaining this are:
-They are like a group of little kids that must always have their way.
-Oh, and communist activists.