What religious rights, if any, are currently being eroded in the USA?

Why are you not giving us other examples of religious rights erosion? I'm interested to hear about them, but so far I've learnt nothing from you, just some vague assertions about what you "feel" is happening, but nothing concrete, except for a very ambiguous one which may have been based on drugs law rather than any anti-religious motivation.More often, you will see discrimination based on religion, rather than religious rights erosion, but that's just from my personal experience and where I live. The fact that we had to pack up and leave our village for an entire day with a small baby in tow just so some people could exercise their right to take part in what they considered a religious tradition worries me more than any assumed and unevidenced erosion of religious rights.

Totally off topic, but a wee explanation for jar. The huge Orange Order Parade decided to march through our small village. The day started badly when the bandsmen from Belfast attacked the coach carrying local bandsmen. As Roman Catholics, we got out of there as 12,500 Orangemen swaggered through the village. Later that night, I was physically attacked in my car with my toddler on board because I was playing a U2 tape and U2 come from Dublin. In other words sectarian bigotry. Gardens and houses in my part of the village (mainly Catholic) were vandalised, mine was full of shitty disposable nappies, beer cans and broken glass. The marchers claim that the right to march is a traditional religious right and so it continues year after year. This sort of thing worries me more than nut-guzzling!

Utter rubbish, Willow and you know it!!!!!!!!!!! Note my words Now note again the two REALLY IMPORTANT words That means "up til now" or "previously" or "in previous posts". It says bugger all about future posts. So what is this about? Why don't you tell me where you got the idea that I even remotely HINTED that I was saying anything about future posts? Maybe it would be a good idea if you stuck to criticising what I actually said, rather than what you think I said.As for your little dig about my "flimsy post", to me it was anything but flimsy. Neither did I dismiss your information, but with all the information available to me it seems that the issue is more about drugs law than prohibiting a practice BECAUSE it is religious. There's an ocean of difference between the two. I'm not dismissing what you said, I'm disagreeing with you and explaining my reasons for that. I've also asked you for other examples of religious rights being eroded and am willing to consider each example you give solely on individual merit. I don't have a closed mind on this subject, but neither am I psychic, so until you tell me what instances you're talking about, there's not a lot I can do in agreeing or disagreeing with you, is there?

Forgot most of you were on the other side of the salty sea. "Bugger all" is a more polite way of saying "f**k all" and a cruder way of saying "naff all" or "sweet fanny adams", fanny adams being used to denote the initial letters FA which just so happen to be the same as in f**k all. Basically the word "bugger" is used to replace f**k when you're trying not to be too rude. For example, if my boss asks me why I'm getting the results I'm getting, I tend not to say "I'm f**ked if I know" (well not often), but I will say "I'm buggered if I know".It can be used as a term of endearment sort of, for example when someone you get on well with does something stupid the term "You daft bugger" isn't seen as insulting, but, funnily enough "You stupid bugger" is!! And I'm buggered if I know why that should be. Most polite people don't tend to use this expression, but I've never been known for politeness. I call a spade a shovel, not an earth-inverting horticultural implement Hope I haven't offended anyone

Willowtree, I would suggest that tax exemption is NOT a religious right, but a perk. Religious rights are those rights to practice the religion of your choosing freely and without fear of harrassment, discrimination or persecution. In my opinion you have yet to show any religious right that is being eroded. No-one has ignored your evidence - you just haven't produced any! Don't go back down the "blackmail" path - been there done that, bought the T-shirt then shrunk it in the wash. I suggest that you abide by the decision of Sylas which you requested and got.Come on, Willowtree, you must have some examples of the erosion of religious rights if you're so utterly certain that they're being eroded. Back up your original statement please - I really want to know!

Yes, Willowtree, everything you have posted so far which you claim to be an erosion of religious rights is nothing.....to do with the erosion of religious rights!!This is the second time tht you have suggested that I'm dishonest, firstly by mentioning that you weren't accusing me of misrepresenting you (which was totally unnecessary, but certainly let me know what you were thinking) and now you say that I could be more honest in what I post to you.LET ME BE TOTALLY HONEST WITH YOU! I was genuinely interested in what you had to say about the erosion of religious rights and I would have been 100% with you IF YOU HAD ACTUALLY MANAGED TO GIVE ANY SUBSTANTIVE EXAMPLES. That's why I kept asking you for your examples. I made the assumption that you actually had some. Twice you have insulted me and suggested that I am less than honest. Any chance that a Christian of your calibre could manage to hold a discussion without besmirching the character of anyone who disagrees with you?Now, I'm still interested in examples of the erosion of religious rights that YOU claim exist and substantiate your case that religious rights are being eroded. Why don't you just make your case? We're at 119 posts and none of us are any the wiser, except in knowing how dishonest you think some of us are.I'll go now, calm down, say a few Hail Marys and come back all serene. Bear in mind that I might be a Christian , but I'm certainly not a perfect Christian and sometimes the other cheek doesn't make its appearance until I've let off steam.Right, peace!

READ MY POST AGAIN. I didn't say your examples were nothing, I said they were nothing to do with the erosion of religious rights!!! Strewth! OK, I put a few dots in, but my meaning was crystal clear. You even show that you understood exactly what I meant when you said It isn't until later that you manage to transmogrify it into Willow, I just want to know what evidence you have that religious rights are being eroded! What have YOU been stopped from doing that you used to be able to do, or what are you forced to do that previously you would never have done. I think you have to separate religious rights from Church rights. Church rights can be eroded without having any effect on the way in which members exercise their religious practices.The last time I checked, both the USA and the UK allowed everyone the freedom to practice their religion publicly or privately in whichever manner they chose to do so, as long as the laws of the respective country aren't broken. Now, its one thing to say that a new law will affect the finances of the church and quite another to say that a new law will prohibit members of a religion from practicing it freely and openly. Maybe we're working from different definitions of religious rights.

Your post makes you sound like one of the most hate-filled bigots I've come across. I'm sure that you didn't intend to convey this impression, but much of your post is sanctimonious and hypocritical. I thought that God was supposed to reign supreme, but you've now taken God out of the picture and instead Christians will rule the world.Willow, I know I'm not a perfect Christian, but where is there any evidence in your post of "Blessed are the meek for their's is the Kingdom of Heaven". In all my years as a Christian I have never ONCE heard it preached that Christians will rule the Earth. I thought that there would be no Earth left to rule to be quite honest.Instead of insulting and belittling people who you think have had their "God sense" removed, should you not be prayingfor their souls? Should you not be begging God to return their "God sense"? Quite frankly, I don't believe in your "God sense" nonsense. If God is deliberately removing the "God sense" of people so that they never come back to him, then what in Heaven's name did Jesus die for??? Where's the forgiveness? Where do you fit in the parable about the Prodigal Son? Where do you fit in "The first shall be last and the last shall be first?" I thought that the whole idea behind these teachings was that God rejoices more when one stray sheep returns than when one person remains devout all their life. Again I ask, just for emphasis, where do you fit the Prodigal Son into this blueprint of yours? Who did Jesus die for?I don't see an atheist conspiracy trying to remove God from the American or British way of life, but I do see people trying to help a multicultural society get on together in the face of increasing racism and sectarianism.Edited the first time to add EVERY word following the very first word "your".....what did I do wrong??Edited the second time to explain why I edited it the first time....strewth!This message has been edited by Trixie, 05-17-2004 03:47 PMThis message has been edited by Trixie, 05-17-2004 03:48 PM

.....but I couldn't help myself. Willow, jar DIDN'T express outrage at the display of a Cross or the Ten Commandments, he displayed outrage that a Christian could post such a message as you did - he obviously got the same impression from it that I did.Now, you know that jar didn't express outrage at the displaying of a Cross or the Ten Commandments, so why say that he did? You're more like a politician, spinning spinning spinning, distorting people's words to suit your own agenda. You once suggested that I was less than honest (erroneously in my opinion, but...ho hum). Why don't you get a tissue, go to the bathroom mirror and haul that great big log out of your eye while I get the mote outta mine!At the risk of being consigned to the flames of Hell, can I ask where Roman Catholics fit into this Great Plan for World Domination?

I imagine that his outrage was due to the fact that someone who declares their Christianity from the rooftops and goes out of their way to make out that they're the only true Christian on the board, can post messages so full of hatred to their fellow Christians and fellow humans. I know that's what got me going - the sheer hypocrisy where you claim to follow the teachings of Jesus to love your fellow man, yet seem to glorify in their eternal damnation. Thank the Lord that God will make the decisions himself without any input from you. If Jesus had preached the way you do, they would have crucified him three years earlier!Yes, Willowtree, I'm against hate of all sorts. I'm against hatred of God, but there's not much I can do about that in this world at the present time when people like you do more damage to the image of the Christian God in a single post than Satan could manage in an eternity.Calm down and go back and read over your posts. Forget you wrote them and try to see the impression they give. Maybe then you'll understand the outrage that many on here feel, Christian, agnostic and atheist.By the way what's this about?

Considering the reply which Willowtree has posted below your re-opening post, I suggest that you close it again. Willowtree has absolutely no intention of providing examples or evidence of erosion of religious rights. We're 213 messages into this and none the wiser.

Both the examples highlighted by NosyNed were totally disagreed with back at the beginning!!!!!!!!! Go on, check back and you'll see all the posts. Why should we have to disagree with them all over again when nothing has changed?I see you're now attackingthe posters again and not the posts. Fine by me, it just demonstrates that you have no case to present, no evidence to give and no ability to defend your position.I think the whole point of this post has been answered and the answer seems to be NONE!

Sorry about the misID Ned, I was just in too much of a rush, what with one thing and another. Fact is, we've been asking for concrete examples for about 200 posts! Have you ever heard of a programme called The Magic Roundabout?? Bit surreal with an arrogant dog called Dougal, a hare called Dylan drugged out of his brain and a mad bouncing bee called Zebedee. Well, this topic makes me feel as if I'm stuck in the middle of an episode!