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Does the US First Amendment apply equally to all religions in the US or not?

Does the US First Amendment apply equally to all religions in the US or not?

  • Yes - the First Amendment applies equally to all religions in the USA

    Votes: 24 88.9%

  • No - the First Amendment does not cover all religions in the USA

    Votes: 3 11.1%
  • Total voters
    27
Infinite Chaos

Infinite Chaos

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Simple yes or no, if not could you please enlighten a non-US citizen on the reasons why some followers of religions in the US should not have the same religious freedoms as others.

Oh - and if I got the wrong Amendment, I mean the one about freedom of religious expression.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
Simple yes or no, if not could you please enlighten a non-US citizen on the reasons why some followers of religions in the US should not have the same religious freedoms as others.

Oh - and if I got the wrong Amendment, I mean the one about freedom of religious expression.
Click to expand...

Yes the first amendment applies equally to all religions.
 
Please enlighten this USofA citizen- which religions don't get the same 'freedoms'???

A religion devoted to human sacrifice doesn't get a great deal of religious freedom in this country....
 
All religions should enjoy the same freedoms. Some adherents breaking the law does not cause people who have not broken the law to lose any rights.
 
It is a complicated question as to whether Atheism should be considered a religion, especially in certain contexts. But in some states atheists are banned from holding higher elected offices, and as far as I know, the Supreme Court has (passively) chosen to let that stand.

In the USA, religions that call their deity "God," perform Christian style prayer ceremonies and observe the Christmas holiday receive governmental recognition that other religions do not. Those religions are supported by slogans on currency, official prayer ceremonies in legislative assemblies, a phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance, a holiday, and tax payer funded Chaplins in many institutions including the military, public hospitals, and fire and police departments. (in some cases non-Judeo-Christian chaplins are also provided]

De Facto, the legal religious hierarchy in the USA is:
1. Christianity (privileges]
2. Judaism (support of their god and prayer rituals]
3. All other religions except Islam (tolerance]
4. Islam (some De Facto oppression]
5. Atheists/Agnostics etc. (some legal oppression]
 
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It depends on what you mean. Does it, in theory, provide the same protections to all religions? Yes. Does it, in practice, do so? Not really and certainly not if you listen to the most religious people who are convinced that it only protects them and everyone else can take a long walk off a short pier.
 
notquiteright said:
Please enlighten this USofA citizen- which religions don't get the same 'freedoms'???

A religion devoted to human sacrifice doesn't get a great deal of religious freedom in this country....
Click to expand...

Organized accepted religions...
 
jamesrage said:
Yes the first amendment applies equally to all religions.
Click to expand...
Well it's supposed to, but in practice in many states, even most states, it's application is clearly weighted on the side of Xianity.
 
Rastafarians are not allowed their sacrament. I voted no.
 
While it is clearly stated that
 
In theory, yes it does. However in practice, there has to be a determination about what is and is not a "legitimate" religion. Clearly, religions with practices that break the law, like human sacrifice for example, are not free to practice that facet of their religion, although many Native American tribes who use peyote for their sacred ceremonies are allowed to continue doing so, even though the use of peyote is illegal for others.

The key phrase is "applied equally under the law"... which means that laws must treat all religions equally (but too frequently do not, since Christian prayers are nearly always used to open public meetings from school boards all the way to congress itself) and other recognized religions, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, 7th Day Adventists, etc., to not have equal access to the public prayer podium.

Also, society itself does not treat all religions equally. Society is in fact quite discriminatory in its treatment of non-Christian religions, as the volatile protests against Islamic Mosques has shown, although most discriminatory practices are not quite as public nor as obvious.
 
Infinite Chaos said:
Simple yes or no, if not could you please enlighten a non-US citizen on the reasons why some followers of religions in the US should not have the same religious freedoms as others.

Oh - and if I got the wrong Amendment, I mean the one about freedom of religious expression.
Click to expand...

Freedom, in the sense you are referring to it, appertains to tolerance. That is; does the First Amendment enjoin American citizens to tolerate other's religions?

Truth is All religions, especially the Abrahamic ones, are intolerant of other religions. So your question could be interpreted as; does the First Amendment enjoin citizens to tolerate others intolerance?
 
Infinite Chaos said:
Simple yes or no, if not could you please enlighten a non-US citizen on the reasons why some followers of religions in the US should not have the same religious freedoms as others.

Oh - and if I got the wrong Amendment, I mean the one about freedom of religious expression.
Click to expand...

Does not apply to those that practice human sacrifice, ritualistic torture or harm to children.

Personally, while I wouldn't support a ban on it, religions like Islam that preach hate intolerance and violence towards other religions should not receive tax free status or recognition as a religion.
 
DiAnna said:
-- religions with practices that break the law, like human sacrifice for example, are not free to practice that facet of their religion --
Click to expand...

I wasn't going to post in this thread but this is the key phrase for me. If a religion or a practice within a religion (any religion) breaks a law like equality / criminal damage / drug abuse / child abuse etc etc then that facet should be subjugate to criminal law (at the very least).

It should also apply to legal matters under a court including shariah and beth din. Any parts of that religious practice that breaks national law should be subject to the same laws and limitations that everyone else is.
 
Hard Truth said:
It is a complicated question as to whether Atheism should be considered a religion, especially in certain contexts. But in some states atheists are banned from holding higher elected offices, and as far as I know, the Supreme Court has (passively) chosen to let that stand.

In the USA, religions that call their deity "God," perform Christian style prayer ceremonies and observe the Christmas holiday receive governmental recognition that other religions do not. Those religions are supported by slogans on currency, official prayer ceremonies in legislative assemblies, a phrase in the Pledge of Allegiance, a holiday, and tax payer funded Chaplins in many institutions including the military, public hospitals, and fire and police departments. (in some cases non-Judeo-Christian chaplins are also provided]

De Facto, the legal religious hierarchy in the USA is:
1. Christianity (privileges]
2. Judaism (support of their god and prayer rituals]
3. All other religions except Islam (tolerance]
4. Islam (some De Facto oppression]
5. Atheists/Agnostics etc. (some legal oppression]
Click to expand...

Yeah, pretty much this. In theory, the first amendment applies equally. But in practice, that's not necessarily the case.
 
notquiteright said:
Please enlighten this USofA citizen- which religions don't get the same 'freedoms'???

A religion devoted to human sacrifice doesn't get a great deal of religious freedom in this country....
Click to expand...

Human sacrifice is against the law, because it infringes on another person's right of due process. Ergo, human sacrifice is not protected under the I Amendment.
 
Bodhisattva said:
Organized accepted religions...
Click to expand...

Frankly there is too much slop in that factor. What is organized? and who does the accepting? Are you saying there can be no new religions?

I'd say some religions in this country are more 'equal' than others under the law. I personally never quite understood putting God on our money or in a Pledge, but that hardly equals the harsh suppression many religions receive around the world.
 
DVSentinel said:
Does not apply to those that practice human sacrifice, ritualistic torture or harm to children.

Personally, while I wouldn't support a ban on it, religions like Islam that preach hate intolerance and violence towards other religions should not receive tax free status or recognition as a religion.
Click to expand...

How about Christian religious leaders who preach hate toward others and other religions? Quran burners and Gay bashers? I understand some can warp the Quran to say hateful things but then again our Bible has been used to justify everything from genocide to simple lynchings.

Perhaps the better phrasing would be those who use the guise of religion to promote hate, intolerance, and violence should lose their tax free status.
 
Freedom/tolerance depends on numbers. See how tolerated or how free you are to practice your minority religion if it conflicts with the "moral majority's" religion, which, when it gets down to tin tacks, was brutally forced down the throats of their poor oppressed ancestors.
 
notquiteright said:
Frankly there is too much slop in that factor. What is organized? and who does the accepting? Are you saying there can be no new religions?

I'd say some religions in this country are more 'equal' than others under the law. I personally never quite understood putting God on our money or in a Pledge, but that hardly equals the harsh suppression many religions receive around the world.
Click to expand...

I know that there is a lot of interpretation and that "Accepted" religions often preach hate... but none practice human or animal sacrifice or have true hate messages. I think the Southern Baptist ones that protest outside soldiers funerals should not qualify as a religion. If a church or group starts doing stuff like that they should have their credentials revoked.
 
The Misanthrope said:
Freedom/tolerance depends on numbers. See how tolerated or how free you are to practice your minority religion if it conflicts with the "moral majority's" religion, which, when it gets down to tin tacks, was brutally forced down the throats of their poor oppressed ancestors.
Click to expand...

ARe you an aborigine, or something?
 
Bodhisattva said:
I know that there is a lot of interpretation and that "Accepted" religions often preach hate... but none practice human or animal sacrifice or have true hate messages. I think the Southern Baptist ones that protest outside soldiers funerals should not qualify as a religion. If a church or group starts doing stuff like that they should have their credentials revoked.
Click to expand...

Bod...

The Westboro Baptist Church isn't affiliated with any Baptist denomination. The Baptist World Alliance and the Southern Baptist Convention (the two largest Baptist denominations) have each denounced the WBC over the years.

So you might say their credentials were revoked....
 
notquiteright said:
How about Christian religious leaders who preach hate toward others and other religions? Quran burners and Gay bashers? I understand some can warp the Quran to say hateful things but then again our Bible has been used to justify everything from genocide to simple lynchings.

Perhaps the better phrasing would be those who use the guise of religion to promote hate, intolerance, and violence should lose their tax free status.
Click to expand...

It all boils down to "my religion is the only true religion and God (who I speak for) says you are bad if you don't believe me."
 
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