• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol[W:649]

Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Ikari said:
Government is not theocracy, it cannot allow one but deny others, not while upholding the rights and liberties of others. Religious expression on public land is an all or nothing scenario in a free Republic.
Click to expand...

It can, it just won't.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

countryboy said:
Thank you for demonstrating that a Christmas display on the little town square is not a "fundamental step toward theocracy".
Click to expand...

It's not. But if one starts arguing that only one religion is allowed to be displayed and attempt to enforce this through government force, then it could be. Religious display on public land is fine, but in a free republic we have to respect the religious beliefs of all.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

countryboy said:
That's not what I asked. If what you say is true, why haven't we hurtled towards theocracy yet?
Click to expand...

Because of our Constitution. It has taken us a while to fully institute it but better late than never. The majority has been over powering the minorities for too long.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Ikari said:
It's not. But if one starts arguing that only one religion is allowed to be displayed and attempt to enforce this through government force, then it could be. Religious display on public land is fine, but in a free republic we have to respect the religious beliefs of all.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. But I was arguing with a fellow who claimed that Christmas decorations on the little town square were "a fundamental step towards theocracy". He has yet to demonstrate how this is so.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

iguanaman said:
Because of our Constitution. It has taken us a while to fully institute it but better late than never. The majority has been over powering the minorities for too long.
Click to expand...

Fully institute what? Have Christmas decorations on public property been banned by the SCOTUS?
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

countryboy said:
That's not what I asked. If what you say is true, why haven't we hurtled towards theocracy yet?
Click to expand...
Because as evidenced in the OP the courts have supported the separation of church and state in these matters. That's why Satanists are permitted displays alongside the Christian ones.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Unrepresented said:
Because as evidenced in the OP the courts have supported the separation of church and state in these matters. That's why Satanists are permitted displays alongside the Christian ones.
Click to expand...
And judging by the number of children being being abused and murdered throughout the world it seems the Satanists are winning.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Unrepresented said:
Because as evidenced in the OP the courts have supported the separation of church and state in these matters. That's why Satanists are permitted displays alongside the Christian ones.
Click to expand...

Hey, if you don't want to answer the question, just say so.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

AliHajiSheik said:
The government being involved with religious displays isn't great, but to call it a heinous evil is a bit much.
Click to expand...
Satan is the representative of evil, otherwise the display would not have been there and gained so much attention. The difference between good and bad behavior gets ever more murky.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

iguanaman said:
If you mean religious displays in the State Capital, I agree. It mocks our Constitution
Click to expand...
It mentions nothing of this in the Constitution.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Grant said:
And judging by the number of children being being abused and murdered throughout the world it seems the Satanists are winning.
Click to expand...
Our nation's prisons are predominantly filled with Christians. Satanists aren't the ones committing crimes on any meaningful level.
countryboy said:
Hey, if you don't want to answer the question, just say so.
Click to expand...
I've answered it for you several times. I don't know how to make it clearer for you:

Legal precedence of establishment and endorsement of religion by government is an essential first step to a theocracy (a reversal of our current one which provides for religious freedom). Religious displays on public property limited to a specific belief system is an example of the government establishing and endorsing religion.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Unrepresented said:
Our nation's prisons are predominantly filled with Christians. Satanists aren't the ones committing crimes on any meaningful level.

I've answered it for you several times. I don't know how to make it clearer for you:

Legal precedence of establishment and endorsement of religion by government is an essential first step to a theocracy (a reversal of our current one which provides for religious freedom). Religious displays on public property limited to a specific belief system is an example of the government establishing and endorsing religion.
Click to expand...

Sure, you can say you've answered it, but you have not.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Unrepresented said:
I've answered it for you several times. I don't know how to make it clearer for you:

Legal precedence of establishment and endorsement of religion by government is an essential first step to a theocracy (a reversal of our current one which provides for religious freedom). Religious displays on public property limited to a specific belief system is an example of the government establishing and endorsing religion.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Yes, allowing Christian displays but not displays of other religions on public property IS a first step to a theocracy. As others have said, the reason it hasn't pushed us further given our past history is due to people fighting for our constitution and freedom of religion.

But CB refuses to see that a first step to a theocracy doesn't mean we're necessarily going to go all the way there, as long as we have people and a court system that stop those kinds of endorsements. Just because we haven't become a theocracy yet doesn't mean we haven't taken this step in the past.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

countryboy said:
Sure, you can say you've answered it, but you have not.
Click to expand...
I'd you're honestly interested in understanding the position feel free to explain what logical gap you're not following.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Unrepresented said:
Our nation's prisons are predominantly filled with Christians. Satanists aren't the ones committing crimes on any meaningful level.
Click to expand...
Yes, many have found Christianity (or Islam) after entering prison but do you have any stats on what their beliefs were before entering prison?
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Grant said:
Yes, many have found Christianity (or Islam) after entering prison but do you have any stats on what their beliefs were before entering prison?
Click to expand...
It'd be blindly optimistic and intellectually dishonest to assume the percentage would be significantly lower than the percentage in the general population.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Unrepresented said:
It'd be blindly optimistic and intellectually dishonest to assume the percentage would be significantly lower than the percentage in the general population.
Click to expand...
So you are just sharing your feelings with me?
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Grant said:
So you are just sharing your feelings with me?
Click to expand...
I don't have data that supports or rejects your hypothesis that prisons increase religiosity, I only have data that shows religiosity, especially Christianity is very high in prisoners.

I'd think the burden of proof would be on you to display any compelling religion shift that prisons create.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

paddymcdougall said:
Exactly. Yes, allowing Christian displays but not displays of other religions on public property IS a first step to a theocracy. As others have said, the reason it hasn't pushed us further given our past history is due to people fighting for our constitution and freedom of religion.

But CB refuses to see that a first step to a theocracy doesn't mean we're necessarily going to go all the way there, as long as we have people and a court system that stop those kinds of endorsements. Just because we haven't become a theocracy yet doesn't mean we haven't taken this step in the past.
Click to expand...

So why didn't the United States become a theocracy during the first 200+ years of having Christain displays on government property?

I believe you, the ACLU and all troublemaking atheists here in the US should practice what you preach. All of you should travel to ISIS territory in Syria and Iraq and demand that your atheist and multicultural ideas be represented near the public beading of infidels.
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Unrepresented said:
I don't have data that supports or rejects your hypothesis that prisons increase religiosity, I only have data that shows religiosity, especially Christianity is very high in prisoners. I'd think the burden of proof would be on you to display any compelling religion shift that prisons create.
Click to expand...
It's difficult to take the word of those who ae in jail as they'll tend to say whatever you want to hear. But we've both probably heard prisoners say they have 'found God' in prison.

Religion in United States prisons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reports are that O.J. has also embraced Islam.

And some get religion out of convenience. Prisoners 'converting to Islam to get protection from powerful gangs' | Daily Mail Online

Conversion to Islam in U.S. prisons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Re: Woman arrested after damaging Satanic display at Florida Capitol

Flamethrower said:
So why didn't the United States become a theocracy during the first 200+ years of having Christain displays on government property?

I believe you, the ACLU and all troublemaking atheists here in the US should practice what you preach. All of you should travel to ISIS territory in Syria and Iraq and demand that your atheist and multicultural ideas be represented near the public beading of infidels.
Click to expand...
You break a society by first breaking their culture. That's the intent here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom