Atheism and freedom of speech

Did I miss the news again? I wasn't aware that prayer had been criminalized in the US.Removing prayer from the schools - if that's what you mean - was done to remove partitions between those who believe "the right thing" and those who don't.Freedom of speech is not just the freedom to say what you believe. It's also the freedom from being forced to say something you don't believe.

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On a somewhat related note: I presume that there is still "official endorsement" of the Pledge of Allegiance, but what if a student wanted to opt out of reciting it?Once, when I working for the federal government, a co-worker solemnly informed me that I must have taken an oath of allegiance to the quuen to get the job. I have no recollection of ever having done so - and it doesn't seem like anything I would do.("Save the mad cow, but get her picture off our money.") Nationality is (often) an accident of birth. Does freedom of speech extend to the right to not pledge allegiance to something you don't believe in?

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Hmm.... You quoted me saying,

quote:

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I wasn't aware that prayer had been criminalized in the US.

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and yet nothing in your post addresses that point. Exactly when was prayer criminalized?As for all the US constitutional mumbo-jumbo, who cares? First off, "exodus" seems like a bit of an exaggeration. Second, hundreds of years later, Britain does have freedom of religion even though they don't have "separation of church and state". Some would argue that their brand of freedom is better than yours.

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