Real-world sensitivities and game names

[quantum_mechani]

MaxWilson said:

I dunno, I think the most vocal Christians are concerned about the issue. Look at the Intelligent Design debates. Most ID apologists are fools (Niven's Law guarantees that--and of course most Darwinian apologists are fools too) but the key issue is that they're afraid the state is trying to shove atheistic ideas into their kids' heads. Most of them wouldn't care if YOUR school doesn't point out flaws in Darwinian theories as long as THEIR school can. It's about freedom from government interference, which is very much an issue of separating church and state.

-Max

The thing is, freedom from the government, if you take that idea all the way, means no meaningful government. Since any aspect of the government conceivable could fall under someone's religion, you are left with nothing.

[MaxWilson]

quantum_mechani said:
The thing is, freedom from the government, if you take that idea all the way, means no meaningful government. Since any aspect of the government conceivable could fall under someone's religion, you are left with nothing.

Right. If you take it all the other way, though, and the government has a right to trump religious freedom whenever it feels like it, what was the point of the 1st amendment? The ID folks are wrong in my book, but I think they have a right to be heard even if I wouldn't vote for teaching their ideas in my school.

(Well, I might teach Fred Hoyle's version of ID as an exercise or something, to make a point about the scientific method and Bayesian priors.)

-Max

[quantum_mechani]

MaxWilson said:

Right. If you take it all the other way, though, and the government has a right to trump religious freedom whenever it feels like it, what was the point of the 1st amendment? The ID folks are wrong in my book, but I think they have a right to be heard even if I wouldn't vote for teaching their ideas in my school.

(Well, I might teach Fred Hoyle's version of ID as an exercise or something, to make a point about the scientific method and Bayesian priors.)

-Max

Oh, I agree they have right to be heard. I'm just saying there is something of a fundamental flaw in the way freedom of religion is layed out. It is built on the inherent assumption some religions are more valid than others, because if they are not, anyone can have their own relegion and be totally free from government control.