Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site imsvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!elsie!imsvax!djw From: djw@imsvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.religion,net.politics,net.legal Subject: Re: religion and public life: texas Message-ID: <216@imsvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 2-Aug-84 09:27:36 EDT Article-I.D.: imsvax.216 Posted: Thu Aug 2 09:27:36 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 5-Aug-84 00:27:10 EDT Organization: IMS Inc, Rockville MD Lines: 33 From: hawk@oliven.UUCP: * * * * * * * * * * The requirement to profess belief in a Supreme Being could indeed be Constitutional, iff the manner in which this expression is made is left to the individual. This would not grant recognition to or constitute establishment of a religion. * * * * * * * * * * True, no religion is being established by this, nor is the individual required to attend a particular church, or churches of a particular sect. But it de- pends on how you define "religion": If religion is the philosophy of the indi- vidual regarding the formation, purpose, and organizational entity of the uni- verse, and the resulting preferred set of actions and attutudes to attend this philosophy, then a belief that there is no supreme being (atheism), or even a belief that there can be no certainty (agnosticism), can be considered a re- ligion. Now, if it is a requirement that a person believe in a Supreme Being (or Beings), such as God, Vishnu, Satan, or whatever, regardless of which one, then the individual is disallowed to not believe in their existence -- in other words, [s]he is prevented from pursuing the religions of atheism or agnosticism. Is this not an impairment of religious freedom? PLEASE, no flames about "supporting" atheism or agnosticism. After all, those of you who are out to evangelize must realize that imposing a god on someone is a very good way to get that person to hate said god, which should be con- sidered somewhat counterproductive... Don Whytock ...allegra!umcp-cs!eneevax!imsvax!djw