...Debate Work The idea of a public monument which states the Ten Commandments constitutionality is at question. Pro separation of Church and State I. There is a running risk of offending members of the community who are not part of the faith being advertised or citizens who find the display disrespectful. The Establishment Clause in the Constitution calls for complete neutrality in terms of favoring one religion over another. The court has also reaffirmed many times, the prohibition of passing laws which help all religions against non-believers. They may also not pass laws which aid religions founded on God against those with controversial beliefs. They may also not favor. (Taking Sides). i. A respect for any believer in Atheism shall be the...
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...those who may not otherwise have much to say about human rights. Everything from what is creed (and what beliefs and practices are protected under the ground of creed), how creed claims are proven, how creed must be accommodated and what to do where creed bumps up against other rights have led to judicial interpretation and public debate. In Quebec, the provincial government appointed a Commission on Accommodation Practices Related to Cultural Differences 1 in response to public discontent concerning accommodation of, among other things, creed rights. This may be in part because creed is unique in some respects. It encompasses not just innate personal characteristics but also covers associated practices and beliefs. Rights in relation to religion have been recognized as not just equality rights, but also among the “fundamental freedoms” of every Canadian as listed in s. 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 2 As well, as will be seen in the discussion of the human rights decisions in this paper, creed more than any other right is impacted by international events, as issues from around the world can lead to religious intolerance and discrimination in Canada. A growing trend towards secularization may mean that there is less tolerance for religious practices generally,...
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...respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. At one time Americans weren’t a strong believer of freedom of religion. Pilgrims came to the Mayflower more than half a century, the French Protestants known as Huguenots, in Fort Caroline where they settled their colony near Jacksonville, Florida. Spanish people occupied much of Florida who were Catholic’s which murdered the Huguenots at Fort Caroline. Written sighs by the Spanish commander to the king as for why the settlers were hung stated “Scattering the odious Lutheran doctrine in these provinces”. A puritan dissident, Roger Williams in 1963 who was forbidden...
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...BELONG IN PARLIAMENT? AN EXAMINATION OF FREEDOM OF RELIGION PROVISIONS IN PUBLIC BODIES IN NEW ZEALAND, CANADA, AND THE UNITED STATES by ELIZABETH G. FOX 28 August 2009 1 I INTRODUCTION New Zealand does not have a state religion in the way that other countries do.1 The Church of England, for example, has its doctrine and prayer book ratified by Parliament and has the Queen as supreme authority over both ecclesiastical and civil matters.2 However, the central legislators of this country listen to the Speaker of the House open each Parliamentary session with the following prayer.3 Almighty God, humbly acknowledging our need for Thy guidance in all things, and laying aside all private and personal interests, we beseech Thee to grant that we may conduct the affairs of this House and of our country to the glory of Thy holy name, the maintenance of true religion and justice, the honour of the Queen, and the public welfare, peace, and tranquillity of New Zealand, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Is this appropriate in a country that professes no state church and the tolerance of all religions equally?4 Religious content has historically infiltrated governing and administrative bodies. However, with the cultural disestablishment of Christianity and the emergence of toleration for all faiths, there continues to be the presence and preference of a small set of religions by the State. The degree to which religion interacts with the State varies with different public...
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...Canadian courts. Among the most prominent of religious symbols in courtrooms, the Islamic headscarf, or hijab is known in current debates, along with the niqab and burqa. Secularism in Canadian courtrooms has been around for many years, and is a large reason why we as Canadians of different religions feel so comfortable living in this country, but some unusual circumstances can also makes us feel otherwise. In 1960, The Canadian Bill of Rights was created by Prime Minister John...
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...freedoms is the Freedom of Religion. Our forefathers knew that there had to be a separation of church and state. This allowed citizens of the US to practice any religion they may chose and the government would not interfere. A plethora of court cases have ruled that having prayer in school is unconstitutional. While having prayer in school that is not sponsored by the administration is constitutional. Groups such as Moms in Prayer are for having prayer in schools. While the American Civil Liberties Union are against having prayers in schools. "To secure the people's right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor any State shall establish any official religion, but the people's right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. The United States and the States shall not compose school prayers, not require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity." Congressman Ernest Istook (R-OK). Prayer in school is a debate that has been going on since the 1960’s with the landmark case of Engle V Vitale. The case found that a school wide solicited prayer recited by the students was unconstitutional. This ruling led to other litigation where school sponsored prayer was not allowed, such as during sporting events and graduations. Those that are for prayer in school will argue that it allows for the Freedom of Religion. Will bring back morality...
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...Diego Salinas, Matt Hammer, and Daniel Mishkin Facts The First Amendment of the United States Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of Grievances.” Numerous cases discuss whether corporations have First Amendment rights, however only few cases discuss whether the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment applies to corporations. In Central Hudson v. PSC (1980) and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects corporations’ commercial speech and political speech, respectively. In Santa Clara Company v. Southern Pacific Railroad (1886) the court ruled that the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment applies to corporations. The issue of whether the Affordable Care Act violates individuals’ rights to Free Exercise of Religion has also been a hotly debated topic. The Supreme Court Case Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah (1993) discussed whether the government can give ordinances that violate an individual’s right to Free Exercise. The Supreme Court Case Shervert v. Verner (1963) showed that a company cannot not provide an employee with compensation benefits if it interferes with the employee’s right to Free Exercise. Issue Should corporations receive...
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...BASIC RIGHTS OF THE MILITARY CHAPLAIN CHPL 600 Theological Perspectives in Military Chaplaincy The rights, protections, and freedoms of military chaplains come from many sources, both from within the military and from the federal law. Of course, the most significant protection of a chaplain’s rights comes directly from the First Amendment of the Constitution in that the government will not prohibit the free exercise of a specific religion. Over the years the rights, and even the presence, of the military chaplain have been challenged on several fronts and each time, the rights of chaplains to serve and worship have been affirmed. Similarly, the right of a military chaplain to pray in their specific tradition, as opposed to using a more plural or general prayer has been challenged. The challenge was heard by the Supreme Court, referred to as Engle v. Vitele, and the result was that “the government cannot prescribe by law any particular form of prayer which is to be used as an official prayer in carrying on any program of governmentally sponsored religious activity (Kurland, 1961).” Many took this to mean that all public prayer then had to be non-specific, and others that this merely meant that the government could not issue a standard that might indirectly end up supporting or creating a single religious group. Therefore, in order to definitively protect the chaplain’s denominationally or traditionally specific right to pray, House Resolution...
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...I have always been an individual who tries to learn and study about other religions and cultures. I enjoy learning from these as well as being able to understand people from different backgrounds. I thought I was fairly well versed in world cultures; however, until the beginning of this class I had never heard of a faith known as Jainism. Initially, I was taken back by the focus on non-violence and the love and liberation that all followers work toward achieving. The concept, though very foreign to me, is a beautiful and inspirational one. I began by looking into the background and main principles of the faith. There are 5 principles by which all Jainism followers live by. First, relates to being non-violent toward all aspects of life as they feel that this deed would result in an adverse reaction toward the offender in their next life. Next, they focus on speaking only the truth and avoiding lies on all levels. Additionally, there is the principle that focuses on stealing and the negativity that could result from doing so. Also, Jainism followers believe in living in monogamous relationships and being faithful to their spouses. Finally, there is the detachment from material things. Jainism followers avoid becoming attached to material possessions and avoid from over-indulging in any way. I learned that the term Jain derives from Jina as Fisher points out. “One who has thus brought forth the highest in his or her being is called a Jina (a “winner” over the passions). (Fisher...
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...Faith v. Religion In everyday life we experience many internal conflicts and crisis. These crises often manifest themselves as moral dilemmas and are a part of being human. But the question that arises is what causes us to handle ourselves the way we do in those situations. Some people might say faith, but the true answer is our beliefs. That is why we seem to be at an all time low in morality, we are having a crisis of belief. Most people believe that faith is what holds us together, and our beliefs are just a guide. However, it is our culture and the sets of meanings people share that mediate our experiences with one another along with the combination of these experiences which our behind our religion. Our beliefs are a reflection of our culture and this becomes obvious when we observe other cultures. Saudi Arabia, for example has a very different belief system than the United States and these religious beliefs are function of their faith and culture combined. As their culture changes, their beliefs, too, many change. As the sets of meanings people share change, their beliefs will follow. In a religious aspect the difference between faith and belief is easy to see if you go to church the week before Christmas and then Christmas day and look at the difference in the number of people. The regulars who give of themselves one day a week for God truly believe in God, those who show up for Holy Days more than likely have faith. Not to sound cynical, having faith is better than nothing...
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...1st Amendment/Religious Freedom Act The first amendment and religious freedom act allow for accommodations to be made for religious views, beliefs and practices. However, there is hard evidence brought about by the Sherbert V. Verner Supreme Court Case that proves these acts to be somewhat restrictive. Adell Sherbert was not awarded sufficient insurance under the first amendment. She was dedicated to her faith and should be rewarded 1st Amendment/Religious Freedom Act The first amendment and religious freedom act allow for accommodations to be made for religious views, beliefs and practices. However, there is hard evidence brought about by the Sherbert V. Verner Supreme Court Case that proves these acts to be somewhat restrictive. Adell Sherbert was not awarded sufficient...
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...Queen Elizabeth I: Statesman v. Rebel against Catholicism 1. Thesis Statement Queen Elizabeth I was considered a statesman, brought back Anglicanism, and never truly picked a side of specific beliefs, allowing the people to worship freely. 2. Introduction The Elizabethan era experienced relative calm compared to previous reigns. The inauguration of Queen Elizabeth I was received with a tense spiritual atmosphere as most Catholics expected an era of political instability coupled with religious persecution as experienced with Queen Mary. Contrary to the expectations of most people, Queen Elizabeth I was less interested in zealous performances of her predecessors and believed in the interest of the majority. She wanted to be liked by the people of England, and this meant that she had to make her decisions right. She was being raised as a Protestant; she was well aware of the power struggles between the Catholics and the Protestants. She reinforced the Church of England for the people but did not do away with Roman Catholic. She chose to bring back the Church of England because she knew many of her people were hiding in exile. She wanted them to come back and enjoy the freedom of worship without fear. She also knew that by doing this, she will increase her popularity and most people will convert to Protestant. This was a peaceful strategy of making the Church of England more popular than the roman catholic. This paper...
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...Does science make belief in God obsolete? Yes, if by… No, and yes. Absolutely not! Not necessarily. Of course not. No. No, but it should. No. Yes. No, not at all. It depends. Of course not. No, but only if… Steven Pinker Christoph Cardinal Schönborn William D. Phillips Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy Mary Midgley Robert Sapolsky Christopher Hitchens Keith Ward Victor J. Stenger Jerome Groopman Michael Shermer Kenneth Miller Stuart Kauffman 2 4 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 Does science make belief in God obsolete? irteen views on the question Online at www.templeton.org/belief INTRODUCTION T he John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for research on what scientists and philosophers call the Big Questions. We support work at the world’s top universities in such fields as theoretical physics, cosmology, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and social science relating to love, forgiveness, creativity, purpose, and the nature and origin of religious belief. We encourage informed, open-minded dialogue between scientists and theologians as they apply themselves to the most profound issues in their particular disciplines. And, in a more practical vein, we seek to stimulate new thinking about wealth creation in the developing world, character is booklet neatly embodies our approach to the Big Questions: the contributors are education in schools and universities, and programs for cultivating the talents of the gifted. scholars and thinkers of the...
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...Religion can be defined as “a system of beliefs, traditions, and practices around sacred things, a set of shared ‘stories’ that guide belief and action” (Conley, 2011). Whereas a cult is a “religious movement that makes some new claim about the supernatural and therefore does not as easily fit within the sect-church cycle. All religions begin as movements like cults, cults however have a higher tension and antagonize the social world. The differences between the two include a cult is more persuasive by a leader claiming that they are the word of God while religion is a family affair where many young people grow into. Cults can be considered illegitimate and secretive on the other hand religion is legitimate and non-secretive. A religion can...
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...Religion in the Public Schools: Public Prayer or Private Action? The differences between private and government sponsored religious speech can be difficult, but necessary to determine when dealing with religion in the public school system. In Kountze Texas, a group of cheerleaders are suing the school district because a ban was placed on their usage of religious banners before the local public school’s football games. The cheerleaders created banners, like many high school cheerleaders do, but the message painted on their signs were statements such as, “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us” The messages on the banners are religious speech and a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution. Yes, the United States Constitution does allow for the freedom of religion, but it also separates Church and State. The cheerleaders painted these signs for a school organized football game; the educational institution is a public one and must abide by the United States Constitution and the separation of church and state. If the school were private, religious connotations would be permissible, but being that the school is public, the signs created by the cheerleaders would be considered government sanctioned. The Establishment Clause in the First Amendment states, “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” Throughout our nations history there has been much debate of what the framers of the Constitution meant by establishment...
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