Reply #63: $0.01 change from my $0.02

[TXlib]

Freedom or religion does not mean freedom from religion.

We laugh and tell the right to change the channel when they find TV programming offensive. Perhaps we need to follow our own advice and ignore religion, to the extent it is not infringing (seriously) on anybody's rights.

I don't believe any rational person would feel oppressed if, in court, the judge says "God bless you" in response to a sneeze. Being offered a Bible to swear on similarly should not be considered an assault; if you were forced to swear on the Christian Bible regardless of your religion (or lack of it), that would be a different matter.

Holiday displays of mistletoe, holly wreaths, generic Christmas trees, and the like shouldn't get anybody's dander up... these are all symbols associated with winter solstice festivities that predate Christianity.

Rather than trying to purge any semblance of faith or religion from the public view, I think it makes sense to concentrate our energy only on issues where it constitutes a serious threat to civil liberties.

Fighting religion every step of the way only gives the opposition just cause to paint us as theophobic nuts, and makes the general public less sympathetic to our cause when we DO have cause for real concern.

It's draining, also, to attempt to plug 1000 trickles, and be spread too thin to catch the deluge.