No. It’s offensive because you use public property to spew your propaganda and grant yourself a privileged position. And obviously are unable to realize that people can resent it. They’re just intolerant trolls if they don’t smile when put up your shit on what is essentially their lawn.
Interesting. I never expected one of MY threads to generate this much talk.
You started a thread about religion on the Dope and didn’t expect a bunch of replies? :dubious:
Offense is in the eye of the beholder. If Satanists accept the Christian view that Satan fell out of heaven into hell, how is that offensive? Christianity, by claiming it is exclusively true, mocks other religions by its very nature. So do most religions. The First Amendment says that government does not make choices.
In any case, Satanists did not kill and torture my ancestors and drive them from their homes. Christians did. But I’m willing to be tolerant.
No, it’s being tired of having those beliefs shoved in our faces and down our throats as if it’s the only natural and right set of beliefs, and anyone who differs is less of a citizen.
But why does the government square need to be forum for anyone’s religious messages?
You do realize just how much effort it’s taken to get that concession out of christians in this country? They first objected to having menorahs next to the manger scene. The fight of separation of church and state is an ongoing battle to address the expectation of privilege by the christians of this country. You can argue over the relative worth of trivial things like “under God” in the pledge of allegiance and “In God We Trust” as the motto on our money and posting the Ten Commandments in courthouses, but those elements are there because of an inherent expectation of a privileged position by christians.
Christians feel like they are having their rights taken away - in most cases, they are not. They are having privileges above the rights of others taken away. That is what they fail to accept.
You’re missing the point. There should not be any officially-sanctioned religious displays in the state capita because it’s the government.
It’s not dumping on a religion. It’s saying that religious displays shouldn’t be put up where laws are made, because that makes it appear that the state recognizes those religions.
Call me when churches in the US are forbidden by the government from putting up creches and living nativities on their own property, but Jews can have a dancing giant menorah tap-dancing in the front of the synagogue. *That *would be dumping on Christianity.