We're just going to keep going in circles until you make an argument evidencing that "
In God We Trust" has established religion.
The majority of Americans do place faith is some form of a "
god". Saying so is just stating a fact and there's nothing wrong with calling the sky blue.
Congress is not telling anyone to believe in any "
god". Congress is not telling anyone to disbelieve in any "
god".
I can do ya one better.
There is a Greek goddess on the
CA state seal.
As a former citizen of CA and as a Christian who views the Greek gods as the Nephilim described in Genesis 6, I have no issue with it.
The presence of a picture on a state seal is just a cultural vestige, it neither established that “
god” nor the Greek pantheon, nor did it grant any temple who worship that god judicial power.
That's a misnomer.
I stand corected.
This is true.
I grant you that I would rather be back on the gold standerd.
I've seen it argued that 501 (c) status granted to a church "
respects an establishment of religion". I think it's an issue which could be argued either way. Very sticky.
I would have assumed that this issue would have been fought before IGWT, as the violation can be clearly identified.
Let the church hold whatever religious ceremony it chooses, but when it comes to obtaining the legal status of "
married" with the state, that is an issue for the court house, not the church.
Also, that argument can be fought on the flanks of the gay 'marriage movement, in that gay 'marriage advocates assert that marriage is nothing more than a "
strictly legal contract", and, given the Wall of Separation, no religious institution should have any say in rather or not 2 people of the same gender may marry.
I'm not familiar with the official title a priest holds when he has the authority to officiate a marriage license, but I do know that having that authority makes him some level of state official.
As a state official he can not invoke a religious conviction as grounds to deny a marriage license.
Perhaps this is not the case in every state, but my experience is that marriage licenses are under "
shall-issue" status.
Denying a marriage license on the grounds of the religious conviction that homosexuality is a sin is akin to denying a pistol permit on the grounds of the religious conviction that violence is a sin.
I wonder what the world would be like if priests could officiate concealed-carry licenses.
Any different?
We’re in agreement here.
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I compare IGWT with things like the Chaplin Corps and I'm just not seeing a violation.