HuffPost Senior Politics Editor Howard Fineman appeared on MSNBC's "Countdown" Tuesday night to discuss Christine O'Donnell's apparent lack of awareness that separation of church and state is enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- and what her nomination says about the tea party more broadly.
"What's really killing here, what's damning here, is that the tea party is run in the name of rights and freedom," Fineman told guest host Cenk Uygur. "And all of those rights and freedoms are enshrined in the very amendments that she seems totally ignorant of."
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[with apologies to Samuel Clemens]
What we have instead as elaborated on by US Supreme court is the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. We all know what it says. The Courts Use the Lemon Test to determine if a law is violating the 1st amendment establishment clause.
Notice the test BY THE SUPREME COURT says in part " The government's action must not result in an "excessive government entanglement" with religion."
Key word is EXCESSIVE. It does not say religion and Government can not mix. That is why Chaplains serve in the military. That is why each session of the house of representatives can start with a prayer.
Ok, I think that O'Donnell is an embarrassment, but in the case of the Constitution she got this one right.
www.wallbuilders.com
- In philosophy, theory refers to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action.
- In scientific usage, the term "theory" is reserved for explanations of phenomena which meet basic requirements about the kinds of empirical observations made, the methods of classification used, and the consistency of the theory in its application among members of the class to which it pertains.
As far as teaching religion: so you are ok w/teaching every child hindu creation myths as truth? How about having every child fasting during ramadan? How about we teach that xenu came to earth and we were all infected near a volcano?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" means that there can be no govt endorsement of any religious beliefs. Religion out of the state is exactly what it means. An honest study of the period would show what a mess religion made of govt in France, England (remember Bloody Mary?), and in the Mid-East. We see examples today of theocracies. Be careful what you wish for you might get it.
Actually, colleges and universities teach that NOTHING is to be accepted as fact in science, no matter how much evidence supports it. Theories are simply scientific statements that haven't been falsified. However, it does mean that they have stood up to rigorous testing. (The HYPOTHESIS of intelligent design has not.) That goes for the theories of gravity, evolution, relativity, etc.
"They also teach that homosexual lifestyles are perfectly acceptable - which is a social and a type of "religion" also"
One of the most absurd statements I've ever seen on this site. Maybe the most absurd I've ever seen anywhere.
"meant to mean to keep the "state out of religion" and not "religion out of the state" as can be proven"
So, let me get this straight. A century and a half of empirical data gathered from thousands of experiments, fossil remains, and comparison of genetic materials across different time periods isn't enough proof to teach evolution in school? However, your baseless assumption that framers MEANT to say that religion in government is okay should be all the proof we need to start teaching our children Christian dogma in schools? Wow...
Just as Palin, who most of America knows is dumb as a rock, O'Donnell showed the audience (and by extension all of us voyeurs) that O'Donnell would make a lousy senator.
She lacks the intelligence, street smarts and sharpness to "play the game" in Washington and Repubs would simply use her for a vote and then tell her to go back to her apartment and wait for the next call.
O'Donnell is also like Palin in that I suspect she does not have a desire to actually work at "doing the work of the people." She simply likes all the attention and fun of running for office.
(Remember, when asked after she lost the election what she thought of the campaign, Palin said "It was a blast." That's a description someone gives only if they are in it for the fun and attention.)
You know what, O'Donnell and Palin remind me of those two Foster Farms chickens always trying to convince people they are something they are not. Watch those commercials and put Palin and O'Donnell name tags on each. I swear those chickens with all their antics are mirror images of the two.
In a way I can't blame media, however. Obviously politics would be boring if it were not for fools. So covering a story such as "Senatorial candidate admits she dabbled in witchcraft" is newsworthy in anyone's book.
And fortunately, in my view, but for MSM covering all this, the Repubs would have taken over the House and Senate. At least now MSM has shocked Dem voters into actually voting.
I can only imagine the bills this woman would propose and the other senators having to pull her aside and explain, honey, you can't just write laws based on what you wished the constitution said...
Seperation of church and state is found NOWHERE in the constitution or any amendment...period...end of story. That is a fact. Furthermore, the concept never existed until Justice Hugo Black invented the concept in 1947 Everson vs BOE and attributed the fabricated concept to the First Amendment when writing the 5-4 majority opinion...a ruling that was contrary to the prior 150 years of supreme court precident.
Christine O'Donnell was correct!!! It is the media and O'Donnell's opponent that does not know what they are talking about
The concept is contained therein. Shall not promote means shall not promote.
Nothing your "facts" can do about it.
Next...
So lets see, O'Donnell supports teaching Christian "Creationism" in our PUBLIC schools... So teaching our children a specific religion doesn't constitute a "establishment of religion"???
The phrase "separate of church and state" was used by Jefferson, you know, one of those "founders" that you and your fellow Beckians claim to worship? Pick and choose much?
And IF Democrats allow this to happen ... WE THE PEOPLE are in BIG TROUBLE!!!
If independents and democrats--meaning "we the people who are registered as such"--do not vote and get others inspired and encouraged to vote against the GOP/Tea Party (including some IND), shame on us!
From Sarah Palin to Sharron Angle to Christine O'Donnell - these people wear their ignorance like a badge of honor. This is just another reason they represent a danger to our democracy. They want to take this country back(ward) to the dark ages when religion trumped science; when a Galileo could be imprisoned for heretical ideas.
Ignorant crackpots have always been with us but what makes this different is that millions of Americans are voting for and propelling these nut jobs to prominence and positions of real power - while the msm legitimizes them by treating them as respectable and worth listening to.
Sarah Palin and Sharron Angle would be nobodys if it weren't for the millions of Americans who - out of a nation of 320 million people - decide to elevate these crackpots as the best America has to offer.
The heavy lifting of responsibility for their country is another story. Then it's "get off my back and out of my pocket."
The best feature of religion is in its holidays.