How can you justify refusing someone's civil rights in the name of another's civil rights?

Question

It just seems like a vicious circle. Like having "In God We Trust" on money. Someone might say it infringes on an Atheist's civil rights. But wouldn't removing it infringe on anyone who believes in a god's civil rights? It seems like this country has is crossing the line between common sense and insanity.

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Answers to this question provoked my question.

Answer 1

The basis of democracy is in the idea of pluralist beliefs in the majority; instead of trying to perfectly balance the desires of a country....

Ya know what, this question's pointless. When you post an honest question and follow up by ranting through giving everyone thumb-downs for for not agreeing with you, that's very rude. Thx for being immature for a sensitive topic.

Answer 2

Someone's rights will always be infringed upon in some way, but that doesn't mean they will always be Constitutional rights (but sometimes are). That is just a necessary result of a lawful society. If everyone were free to do exactly what they wanted we would find chaos. So, we must make every attempt to protect all rights, but where a law has an unintended consequence of infringing on someones rights, and the law is for the greater good, then we must sometimes accept it.

Answer 3

The word civil rights have been thrown around like a cheap suit. It is not a civil right for the minority to have power over the majority. If we forced a nativity in a Jewish Church. That would be infringing on their civil rights. Having it in the public square is giving the majorities religion the respect it deserves and does not promote a Church. Which Christian Church does it promote? Southern Baptist? Anglican? It is not in the Constitution that you have a right not to be offended. I do not think you will find it in the Bill of Rights.

Answer 4

The trouble is that we are not a theocracy. This is not a civil rights issue, per-se. Freedom of religion may not mean freedom from religion, and I'm not opposed to seeing anything religious, but the government itself can't promote one religion over another through policy or association.

Hence having "under God" in the pledge of allegiance (it was added to the pledge for political reasons anyway) and "In God We Trust" is probably unconstitutional.

It alienates those who do not identify themselves as being within the Judeo-Christian worshipping group.

Whereas having your religion plastered all over the government isn't a civil right.

I think, perhaps, that you're confused on what civil rights are.

The bottom line is that the Constitution does not allow for the government to rule using religious doctrine or symbolism. Not having those words in use on government property or in the pledge does not block you from exercising your religious choices... it does effectively block a person who doesn't believe in that religion from pledging fully to this country in an equal fashion.

It's either follow the Constitution, or openly reject it. The left follows it and honors the tradition put forth by the founding fathers, while the right-wing defiles the Constitution by demanding their religion have supremacy.

That's really the heart of the issue.

Edit: Also, saying that not having God plastered all over the government "infringes on one's rights" assumes that you have the Constitutionally provided right to demand that one religion rules in America.

The only way a person can reach that conclusion is if they're stone cold ignorant of the constitution... most likely through having never completed High School, or maybe even Middle School.

Answer 5

Here is a way I can think of to justify refusing someone's civil rights in the name of another's civil rights:

Outlaw Abortion.

When an abortion is performed, a human being's (an unborn child) civil rights are violated (killing IS a violation of civil rights, isn't it?). The only way to prevent this is to violate the civil rights of the mother by not allowing the abortion.

So, whose civil rights should be protected? The mother's or the child's?

Answer 6

This country has gone nuckin futs with this political correctness crap. I believe this country was built around God and that's how it should stay. Atheists, Muslims, ect., don't want us infringing on their rights, but they infringe on ours and it's okay. I say leave it as it was. And if they don't like how our fore fathers built it, then leave. By the way, our fathers believed in God. If you want to here a good song about this, listen to Joe Nichols song "If nobody believed in you".

Answer 7

You can't justify it, but usually those who complain about such trivial things are little more than crack pots who want there five minutes of fame. As a republic it would (or its supposed to) boil down to majority rules, but politicians like Hillary are finding ways to justify minority rule judgments, AND have actually found a way to make the people who it actually hurts thank her for it.

Answer 8

national security of what? without our laws we have nothing to defend. our national security should be focused on protecting our civil rights, not eliminating them.

Answer 9

For some strange reason people feel using dollar bill with the word "God" on them is others trying to force religion down their throats, honestly do you sit there and stare at your cash, I knwo I dont. Flip it around and I couldnt care less if those words werent on there either. Its freaking money, who cares.

Answer 10

It happens all of the time to the poor and homeless, nonetheless people on probation or in prison....but that part is OK, I say bring back the chain gangs myself.