soreff (05/11/83)
Relay-Version:version B 3/9/83; site harpo.UUCP Message-ID:<1617@hplabsb.UUCP> Date:Wed, 11-May-83 16:52:16 EDT I have an objection to one of Vickie Klick's statements. Klick criticises one of Tim Maroney's statements on the grounds that: "Tim, your example about allowing organizations equal time assumes that all activities are equal. Allowing the Moonies (a cult devoted to brainwashing kids) equal time with a mainline Christian group whose wildest activities are likely to be praying and reading the Bible is comparable to requiring a drug club to get equal time. Activities which are harmful to kids aren't allowed!" This is precisely the sort of decision about religion that a governmental organization such as a public school should NOT make. If the government were to decide on the merits of various religions, it would be coming very close to making the approved one(s) into a state church or churches. I'm not sure if allowing nondenominational religious activities in public schools would violate separation of church and state, but SELECTING approved denominations most assuredly would. -Jeffrey Soreff (hplabs!soreff)
smb (05/13/83)
Regardless of the merit of school prayer, or of making school facilities available to religious groups, the one thing the government absolutely should not do is make such decisions based on whether or not some group is a "cult". Who's to judge? To the rabbis of 2000 years ago, the followers of Jesus were practicing a heretical brand of Judaism. After all, they were ignoring explictly prescribed rituals (such as the ban on eating pork, or the holidays ordained in the Bible itself). And they were claiming to have had mystical spiritual experiences. Maybe they should have been banned.... Who was right, the early Christians or the rabbis of the time? Outside of any personal conviction that you are party to revealed truth (Christian or Jewish), is there any way to tell? I think not -- and that's why such decisions have to be made on a basis other than alleged brainwashing -- which to a believer is nothing more than a sudden deep-seated religious faith, akin to being "born again".