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Arizona Republicans Propose Bill That Would Not Allow Atheists to Graduate

Real Korimyr #9

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Arizona Republicans Propose Bill That Would Not Allow Atheists To Graduate High School

A group of Arizona politicians — all Republicans, of course — have proposed a law (House Bill 2467) requiring public high school students to recite the following oath in order to graduate:

I, _______, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge these duties; So help me God.

Awful damn hard to be a pagan and a conservative in this country when our so-called "conservative party" apparently hates you.
 
Does your (lack of) religion prohibit you from saying "So help me God"? If not than this "oath" clearly does not establish a religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof.

Your parenthetical is not appreciated-- as I noted, I am not atheist but pagan, an Ásatrúar, and I am devoutly religious. And yes, my faith absolutely does prohibit me from saying "So help me God" or swearing any other oath on the Judeochristian deity along with any other non-Germanic deity.
 
Does your (lack of) religion prohibit you from saying "So help me God"? If not than this "oath" clearly does not establish a religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof.

'Libertarianism - Right', apparently, means being perfectly content with allowing the State to violate an individual's right of conscience in order to appease our conservative political benefactors.
 
Your parenthetical is not appreciated-- as I noted, I am not atheist but pagan, an Ásatrúar, and I am devoutly religious. And yes, my faith absolutely does prohibit me from saying "So help me God" or swearing any other oath on the Judeochristian deity along with any other non-Germanic deity.
So you are saying that your deity, or one of them, isn't a god?
 
No, but my deities have names and they are not properly addressed by "God".

And it's patently obvious that the use of the singular noun 'God' refers to the Abrahamic deity. I'm not sure who the supporters - or, rather, political defenders - of this think they're ****ting.
 
Arizona Republicans Propose Bill That Would Not Allow Atheists To Graduate High School



Awful damn hard to be a pagan and a conservative in this country when our so-called "conservative party" apparently hates you.

Some would opine that conservative gays feel the same way as do conservative women who feel they get to decide their reproductive issues.

Not sure why an atheist can't graduate high school if she/he passes the tests. I mean, many 'conservatives' put so much into that yardstick, can little johnny read and write?

Now she/he must take a loyalty oath which states in part, "I take this obligation freely and without reservation..." or your diploma will be withheld... ;)

I wish these 'conservatives' who howl so much for 'rights' and against 'gubmint over reach' would get real.

forgot to ad, maybe Palin DOES have a political future in AZ....
 
No, but my deities have names and they are not properly addressed by "God".
If any one of them is a god to you, then there is no reason as to why you can not say it, as it would be inclusive to you, as opposed to those who do not believe in a G_d, or gods. Let alone the statement of Oath to begin with.
 
If any one of them is a god to you, then there is no reason as to why you can not say it, as it would be inclusive to you, as opposed to those who do not believe in a G_d, or gods.

"God" is a capitalized proper noun and any person of Judeochristian faith will be happy to tell you refers only to their god. I am as excluded as any atheist.
 
"God" is a capitalized proper noun and any person of Judeochristian faith will be happy to tell you refers only to their god. I am as excluded as any atheist.
And yet refers to any deity. Go figure.
Such as the Greek Gods.
 
'Libertarianism - Right', apparently, means being perfectly content with allowing the State to violate an individual's right of conscience in order to appease our conservative political benefactors.

I agree that an "affirmation" (use of the word affirm) rather than a "oath" (use of the word swear) should suffice, thus removing any relgious context at all. Even the presidential oath of office does not contain those last 4 words.

Text of the Oaths of Office for Supreme Court Justices
 
And yet refers to any deity. Go figure.
Such as the Greek Gods.

Except that it doesn't, being the difference between the proper noun "God", which is never pluralized, and the common noun "god" which is frequently so.

Your distortion of what is actually being proposed in Arizona is somewhere between comical and pathetic....

Okay, wise guy, tell me what is being proposed in Arizona if it isn't an illegal and unconstitutional requirement for students to swear a religious oath before they're allowed to graduate high school.
 
Except that it doesn't, being the difference between the proper noun "God", which is never pluralized, and the common noun "god" which is frequently so.
:doh
Accept when it is. The word (with a capital G) Gods is often made plural.
And any pagen god would be included in the word God. As it is inclusive. Not exclusive.




Okay, wise guy, tell me what is being proposed in Arizona if it isn't an illegal and unconstitutional requirement for students to swear a religious oath before they're allowed to graduate high school.
Well the oath is not religious.
But an oath to the Constitution.
So your premise is false.
 
Except that it doesn't, being the difference between the proper noun "God", which is never pluralized, and the common noun "god" which is frequently so.



Okay, wise guy, tell me what is being proposed in Arizona if it isn't an illegal and unconstitutional requirement for students to swear a religious oath before they're allowed to graduate high school.

The substance of the bill seems to be trying for a statement of patriotism from graduating students. Personally think it is a little over the top. And has limited chance of getting passed.

The "so help me God" at the end equates to an "i swear to the above". Term gets used a lot in government and military. Again, your thread title and claims simply ring as partisan blather.....
 
Whether or not it was religious, I would refuse to say it because I am graduating from high school. I am not taking a public oath for office.
 
If this is true, it's crap like this that makes me wish that there was a third place to put my vote. Graduating from high school is an accomplishment of things past, and should not be a promise of things future, regardless of whether or not it is intended to reference God or gods. I feel the same way about the patriotic part. I am a devout patriot and an atheist, but I dislike both sections of this proposed bill equally.
 
Yeah, I hate the Republicans so much I went out and registered as one.

Well there you go....

(But your plans to infiltrate just got compromised. Now we know your name! BWHAHAHAHA.....!!!)
 
Whether or not it was religious, I would refuse to say it because I am graduating from high school. I am not taking a public oath for office.

Don't disagree. Oaths in general aren't a real good fit in the culture these days....certainly not in the public sector.
 
I think it would be rather easy to just stand there with all the other people and skip the God part if it really offends you so much. The hypocrisy here is that where should we draw the line? I wonder how many atheists on here, say "Oh My God," each day. Furthermore, should they stop using cash and coins? It has In God We Trust on it. Should they never enter a government building or any building with God in it's name or religious symbols on it? Should we make minority laws to please maybe the two atheists that are in the school? When I say atheists I mean ones that would actually stand up and say, I don't believe in this, I'm not saying it. Not, Oh I don't believe in God but...

It's most likely that 99% of the school believes in a God. I am not a christian, but I do believe in God. So I would not be offended by having to say this. Why are atheists always trying to push their no-god religion onto others? Sometimes they are just as worse as the fundamentalists. Oh wait, they ARE fundamentalists!!!!
 
now see, THIS is why we should limit the size of gun magazines, so republicans can minimize how often they shoot themselves in their own feet...
 
A group of Republicans does not constitute a law made. Every day, our politicians propose the wackiest laws you can imagine, get publicity (sometimes) and then vanish without any actual change.

How many bills have been proposed by Republicans AND Democrats that are utterly absurd? Thousands.

I swear to god I'm telling the truth.
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