lew@ihuxr.UUCP (Lew Mammel, Jr.) (01/04/84)
In virtually every major baseball and football game since the World Series I have seen a prominent sign displaying, "JOHN 3:16" (the verse is, "for God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son".) At the Dallas-Washington game in Texas Stadium there were two of them, one at each end, one of them with black letters on white and the other with white letters on black. The signs are always situated so that they are frequently on camera. These signs certainly seem to be the result of an organized effort, and I'm wondering what individual or group is responsible. I'm also wondering why they're tolerated. Presumably the chapter-verse citation is a means to avoid overt proselytizing, which might NOT be tolerated. This raises the general question of what policies exist concerning acceptability of these signs. Does anybody know anything about this? Lew Mammel, Jr. ihuxr!lew
tim@unc.UUCP (Tim Maroney) (01/04/84)
Not being much of a sports fan, I hadn't noticed this, but there could be some Constitutional problems there. The verse definitely qualifies as respecting an establishment of religion, which is expressly forbidden to the government. Many of these large stadia are city-owned, I believe, so it is not permitted for them to do this. Remember: A secular government is the only way to prevent religious war. That is why we have managed to avoid having one for two hundred years. If this safeguard is jeapordized, all our lives are in great danger. -- Tim Maroney, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill duke!unc!tim (USENET), tim.unc@csnet-relay (ARPA)
trb@masscomp.UUCP (Andy Tannenbaum) (01/11/84)
I thought all those JOHN 3:16 signs at football games were telling the fans where the rest rooms were located in the stadium. Andy Tannenbaum Masscomp Inc Westford MA (617) 692-6200 x274
djhawley@watrose.UUCP (David John Hawley) (01/12/84)
Remember: a secular government is the only way to have a secular war.
That's why we have dozens of them going on all the time.
Secular wars are more fun, 'cause they don't require you
to have a traditional religion to join.johnnyr@ihu1m.UUCP (John R. Rosenberg) (05/10/85)
*** REPLACE THIS verse WITH the correct one *** Thanks to all who pointed out to me that my question should have referred to signs saying "John 3:16" not 3:13 as I originally posted. Just a slight slip of the mind. John Rosenberg AT&T-NS ihnp4!ihu1m!johnnyr