Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site mako.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!houxz!vax135!floyd!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!tektronix!orca!mako!curts From: curts@mako.UUCP (Curt Stephens) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Religion and the Government Message-ID: <151@mako.UUCP> Date: Fri, 1-Jun-84 13:28:06 EDT Article-I.D.: mako.151 Posted: Fri Jun 1 13:28:06 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 5-Jun-84 08:17:11 EDT References: <356@teldata.UUCP> Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 25 I do not think that less public support of religion has resulted in fewer americans with good morals. In fact, I am convinced that recent events, such as the Viet Nam war, have pushed us out of an earlier stage of general ambivalency and triggered a steady increase in the number of americans that develop a "social imagination". I will provide examples of this upon request. Being religious is not synonomous with being ethical. To illustrate this, I ask you to consider the number of persecutions, executions, and holy wars that can be attributed to each of the worlds "great religions". I will provide examples of this upon request. The issue of school prayer is not simply a question of whether students include religious activity during their school day. It is, in addition, a question of whether the inclusion of one activity would exclude the religious activity of some other student. For example, a moment of silent prayer during a school day is oriented to a minority of religions. That is, MOST religions require that prayers be said out loud. To pray in silence is not prayer for some. Note that I said MOST religions. I will provide examples of this upon request. < Always trying to see both sides, Curt Stephens >