The importance of secularism. Obama gets it.

[RandFan]

RandFan, do you know the date/location/occassion of that speech?

I don't. Sorry.

 

[SezMe]

Obama is not that stupid. Such an attempt would open an ugly, divisive battle and Obama would lose.

gdnp's right. In fact, the opposite is going to happen. Very soon now Newdow's "under god" case will be decided (again). Only this time he is acting as attorney for atheist couples so the whole issue of standing which the Supremes used last time to duck the issue is moot. It will likely go exactly the same way, congress will react the same way (remember 99 of them standing on the capitol steps saying the pledge?), and it will go to the Supremes again with no way out. This time they will probably use the "civil religion" excuse as a way out but if not congress will enact some really dumb legislation and Obama, being a consummate politician, will support it and sign it.

 

[Pardalis]

The fact that he actually took the time to mention non-believers just blew me away, and I saw that video before.

Wow.

 

[Pardalis]

My favourite person from history is Galileo -- "Eppur si muove!"

Be careful what you say, he posts around here.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Be careful what you say, he posts around here.

Mais ne semble le faire en anglais. ²​

 

[gumboot]

Chill out people. If you want to talk religious symbols in government, we have a frikken head of state allegedly appointed by God himself, and yet we're all a bunch of non-religious communist family-hating liberal pinko infidels.

I hardly think a few words on a pledge or on a coin are going to influence things much. I mean, bear in mind we have EIIR's friggen HEAD on our coins and notes, and she's the head of the Anglican Church so that's like having the Pope on your coins, or someone like that. Hasn't made us all religious nutbag zealots.

Our National Anthems are called God Defend New Zealand and God Save The Queen and much as we love to sing the old stuffy tune (7th most patriotic nation on earth, thank you very much) we're still a nation of filthy heathens.

We have an official state religion and yet most of us couldn't pick our God out of a lineup of Olympian proportions.

Heck if we want to talk oaths, our Oath of Allegiance, Governor-General's Oath, Executive Council Oath, Judicial Oath, Armed Forces Oath and Police Oath all end with "So help me God".

Recently we amended our Oaths and there was heated discussion about removing reference to the Monarch and barely a ripple about removing the religious aspect.

And despite all of that my Nation is still a land of Godless pagans led by an openly agnostic Prime Minister.

 

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Chill out people. If you want to talk religious symbols in government, we have a frikken head of state allegedly appointed by God himself, and yet we're all a bunch of non-religious communist family-hating liberal pinko infidels.

I hardly think a few words on a pledge or on a coin are going to influence things much. I mean, bear in mind we have EIIR's friggen HEAD on our coins and notes, and she's the head of the Anglican Church so that's like having the Pope on your coins, or someone like that. Hasn't made us all religious nutbag zealots.

Our National Anthems are called God Defend New Zealand and God Save The Queen and much as we love to sing the old stuffy tune (7th most patriotic nation on earth, thank you very much) we're still a nation of filthy heathens.

We have an official state religion and yet most of us couldn't pick our God out of a lineup of Olympian proportions.

Heck if we want to talk oaths, our Oath of Allegiance, Governor-General's Oath, Executive Council Oath, Judicial Oath, Armed Forces Oath and Police Oath all end with "So help me God".

Recently we amended our Oaths and there was heated discussion about removing reference to the Monarch and barely a ripple about removing the religious aspect.

And despite all of that my Nation is still a land of Godless pagans led by an openly agnostic Prime Minister.

Ours too. Except for the agnostic PM but to make up for that our Head of State (or at least Her Majesty's representative in Canada) is a black African-american, foreign-born, African-canadian.