DH> DH> I have yet to see a case where the state has established a religion,
DH> DH> although there have been numerous cases recently where the state has
DH> DH> limited the practice of Christianity(see previous post).
DH> KK> You must have missed the "balanced treatment" cases of the late 70s
DH> KK> and early 80s, where creationists got laws passed mandating the
DH> KK> teaching of "creation science" in public school science classes.
DH> KK> When this was challenged in Arkansas, it became obvious that
DH> KK> "creation science" not only was not science by its own definition,
DH> KK> but that it was nothing more than Genesis 1-11 with all the religious
DH> KK> words removed.  The court showed that the people who wrote and
DH> KK> supported the law believed that evolutionary science was a plot
DH> KK> by Satan to undermine God's moral authority, and that one of them
DH> KK> pointed out in private correspondence that his real aim was to
DH> KK> "kill evolution."  In short, they were trying to make the views
DH> KK> and values of a very specific sect into the law of the land.
DH> The teaching of creationism, along with evolution merely teaches a
DH> variety of theories, it does not establish a state faith.
In common parlance, the word 'theory' means, 'an idea that some guy had.'
But in science, the word 'theory' has a very specific meaning: a testable
hypothesis that has been tested many times against hard data, and which
is holding up just fine against those tests.
By that criterion, creationism is not even remotely a theory.  Creationism
in this context is biblical literalism, pure and simple.  That is,
it asserts that Genesis 1-11 is a rigidly factual account of the
Earth's history.  There is not a shred of scientific data in support
of that belief, and plenty to show that it is impossible.  But many
fundamentalists base their whole Christian faith on the literality
of every sentence, word and punctuation mark in the bible.
(I personally believe that Yeshua ben Joseph was an incarnation of God --
that is, if you were in his physical presence, you were in the presence
of God.  I fail to understand why I should doubt this faith simply
because the OT places locusts among the 4-legged creatures, or
because Genesis is quite obviously one creation story among many
invented by pre-literate shepherds 5,000 years ago.)
When creationists passed a law in Arkansas in 1981, the "Balanced
Treatment Act" (Act 590), the law was challenged be a coalition
of MAINSTREAM CHRISTIAN CHURCHES trying to protect religious
freedom from the dominace of one sect.  The judge found that
"creation science" had no science at all, and was just Genesis 1-11
with the religious words removed.  He also found that the impetus
behind the law was the promulgation of religion, coupled with
an attempt to conceal that fact.  I have the actual quotes
around here somewhere.
DH> DH> RP>   "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not 
upo
DH> DH> RP>   the power of government, far from it.  We have staked the 
future o
DH> DH> RP>   all of our political institutions...upon the capacity of each 
and
DH>all
DH> DH> RP>   of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of 
God
DH> DH> RP>      - James Madison, "Father" of the Constitution
DH> DH> KK> Would you kindly show me those places in the Constitution where
DH> DH> KK> the Ten Commandments are listed or incorporated?
DH> DH> If you will study the Constitution, and our legal system, you will 
find
DH> DH> that at least part of their basis are the Ten Commandments, ie laws
DH> DH> against theft vs the commandment against stealing.
DH> KK> Any reasoably sane country would have something like that.
DH> This being the case, what would be the problem with the display of such
DH> in public buildings?
What would be the problem with taking down the TC and replacing it with
the Code of Hammurabai?  Or a similar code from the Maori or the !Kung?
Stable societies forbid theft and murder and all that.  It has nothing
to do with Christianity per se.  So when sects want their formulation
to have federal power, they are saying that their narrow sect should
be given favor over all others.  Many fundamentalists don't seem to
understand that it's possible to live outside their sect and still be
a decent and sane human being.
 * SLMR 2.1a * .   If ignorance isn't bliss, I don't know what is.
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