I bet you make more money than me so I'd rather you pay my insurance

 

 

Probably not anymore. You know, I had to settle and take a big paycut thanks to Uncle Obama not taking care of my job. I'm one of those "underemployed" now.

Probably not anymore. You know, I had to settle and take a big paycut thanks to Uncle Obama not taking care of my job. I'm one of those "underemployed" now.

 

Don't start with that...at times, I was "underemployed" under Clinton, Bush and now Obama. Not partisan.

 

Anyway, what is the NDoP all about? Is it praying for our country, as in God Bless America? If so, we have a day like that, it's called Memorial Day. If it's just a day of prayer, many religions have that already, for instance, the Sabbath on Friday for Jews or Sunday for Christians. Of course, you can go more...but there is a call for a certain day. I just don't see the need for this day, period...forget the Constitutional issues.

 

Although, I do think it's cool that the US is set up for debates like this and the Constitution can be evolutionary.

It does? Pray to yourself. Or don't. I don't think it mandates anyone to do anything, like say, buy health insurance.

It promotes prayer over non-prayer. It grants government endorsement to praying. No one said anything about a mandate.

It promotes prayer over non-prayer. It grants government endorsement to praying. No one said anything about a mandate.

 

 

Prayer for what? To whom? This is government "endorsement" to praying to a religion?

 

As opposed to mandates from the government to do something, say something, purchase something?

 

Again, where's the line, and why is this such an outrage?

 

(strange, you're not "outraged", I'm just taking the 180 here).

Please define non-religious or secular prayer.

Please define non-religious or secular prayer.

 

 

So your definition of "prayer" is religious in nature?

So your definition of "prayer" is religious in nature?

Yes. Isn't yours?

I'm curious, which religion is government endorsing or establishing by having a NDOP? With prayer being so general as to convey a word or thought to God or a god, you can pray to anything that you like. Whatever your god is (yourself, White Sox, sports, Athena) go right ahead.

I'm curious, which religion is government endorsing or establishing by having a NDOP? With prayer being so general as to convey a word or thought to God or a god, you can pray to anything that you like. Whatever your god is (yourself, White Sox, sports, Athena) go right ahead.

So why do I have to be encouraged to engage in a religious activity, regardless of whatever deity we're talking about?

So your definition of "prayer" is religious in nature?

 

Please define non-religious or secular prayer.

 

So why do I have to be encouraged to engage in a religious activity, regardless of whatever deity we're talking about?

 

That is completely avoiding my question... You have the freedom to do whatever you want to do. If someone doesn't want to pray to whatever god they do or don't serve (he/she/it/whatever), then don't. Which religion is it establishing?

I'm curious, which religion is government endorsing or establishing by having a NDOP? With prayer being so general as to convey a word or thought to God or a god, you can pray to anything that you like. Whatever your god is (yourself, White Sox, sports, Athena) go right ahead.

 

Please read this thread where it's been pointed out several times that the government isn't endorsing a specific religious sect, but is promoting religion over non-religion.

That is completely avoiding my question... You have the freedom to do whatever you want to do. If someone doesn't want to pray to whatever god they do or don't serve (he/she/it/whatever), then don't. Which religion is it establishing?

 

What secular or non-religious purpose does NDoP serve?

What secular or non-religious purpose does NDoP serve?

 

I'm pointing directly at the law, "make no law regarding an establishment of religion". I don't see how this is doing that because you can pray (or not pray) to whatever in the world or out of the world that you want.

 

But heck, if you are your own god, give yourself a peptalk that day.

I'm just going to add that I do think it is good to think once in a while about what is at the center of our lives, and this is a good day to do that, no matter what it is. I see it more as that than a "religious" activity.

Why can't we have a national Atheism day?

Why can't we have a national Atheism day?

 

 

We can. That's kind of the point I've been trying to make. The NDoP can be praying to whatever you believe or don't believe in, can't it?

We can. That's kind of the point I've been trying to make. The NDoP can be praying to whatever you believe or don't believe in, can't it?

You can't pray if you don't believe in prayer.

You can't pray if you don't believe in prayer.

 

Okay. Don't think to yourself. That little voice you heard, running through your head,...

 

It's just ironic that you all get pissy about the government "condoning" something that SUGGESTS an individual reflect upon something but then it's ok for them to tell you what else to do or not to do.

Why can't we have a national Atheism day?

I guess technically using the same logic, you can, but good luck to anybody who is openly atheist trying to get elected president to actually try to push that.

I'm pointing directly at the law, "make no law regarding an establishment of religion". I don't see how this is doing that because you can pray (or not pray) to whatever in the world or out of the world that you want.

 

But heck, if you are your own god, give yourself a peptalk that day.

 

I'm pointing directly to court precedent interpreting what the means.

 

What secular or non-religious purpose does the NDoP serve?

I'm just going to add that I do think it is good to think once in a while about what is at the center of our lives, and this is a good day to do that, no matter what it is. I see it more as that than a "religious" activity.

 

It's not a National Day of Reflecting on What's Important to Your Life, it's a National Day of Prayer. And prayer is a religious activity.

I started reading this thread than realized I don't even care about this. So I stopped.

How is praying not religious? It pretty much is, by definition, and in order to make that untrue you have to do some serious logic-twisting.

Yeah, you have to expand the definition of prayer to something completely non-standard and indistinct from something like "introspection". The same with saying "well you can pray to whatever you want, so it's not religious!"