Subject:
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Re: March Madness?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 25 Mar 2004 18:25:21 GMT
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Viewed:
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241 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, John Neal wrote:
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From what I heard of yesterday’s transcripts, the Justices don’t seem too
moved by Newdow’s position. On the plus side, however, Newdow has by all
accounts represented his case admirably, in marked contrast to the old “a
lawyer who represents himself” adage.
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Some of (Newdow’s) arguments were pretty lame. The pledge is a “prayer”? No
wonder the justices seemed rather unimpressed.
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Well, hold on. If the Pledge includes the ceremonial invocation of a deity,
then in my view it’s as much a prayer as Bismillah or The Lord’s Prayer.
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He probably doesn’t even have the right to represent his daughter in the
first place, but I do hope that the case isn’t thrown out for that reason.
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I agree that it would be pretty feeble (but politically convenient) for the
Justices to reject his claim because of a murky custody issue. He apparently
has custody 10 days per month, and he probably pays child support. Why
shouldn’t he have a say how is daughter is instructed in matters of religious
belief?
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And speaking of his child, did you know that he claimed to a judge that he
became her father because he was date-raped by the girl’s mother? Cuckoo.
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Where’d you hear that? I don’t think it’s relevant to the case. And what if
it’s true, for that matter? Would it be just as funny if the girl’s mother
claimed that she’d been date-raped by Newdow?
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One thing that really annoys me (and is a sign of true prejudice) is that
every single news report of Newdow’s case uses the word “atheist” somewhere
in the first line, often instead of his name. Atheism is nothing to be
ashamed of, of course, but it would be like saying “Black Man Joe Smith
Argues Race-discrimination Case Before Court,” as if “black” or “atheist” is
legitimately central to the litigant’s position.
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Hmmmm. I don’t know, Dave! I don’t think he is acting in his daughter’s
best interest-- the mom is a Christian and probably so is the daughter, so
the pledge is hardly an issue for her. So why is he doing this? I think
it has more to do with him and his beliefs.
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His daughter’s best interest may be a matter for further consideration, but I
don’t think the mother’s faith (sincere though it be) necessarily determines
what is the best faith-related interest for her child. I don’t expect that the
daughter has had the benefit of years’ worth of critical self-assessment during
which to formulate her views on faith, so it would seem to me that the best
course would be to expose her to the views of both of her parents as
even-handedly as possible, letting her decide for herself when she’s ready.
As far as Newdow’s motives, who can say for certain? I admit that a part of me
looks forward to the day when Matthew brings his science book home from school
with an anti-evolution disclaimer inside! If you think I’m cordial and
restrained on ot-debate, just wait until I storm the school board!
But I would guess that this *is* rooted in Newdow’s belief--from everything I’ve
seen and read about him, he believes that government should play no role in the
endorsement of religious observance, and he believes that the Pledge qualifies
as such endorsement. I happen to agree with him on both counts.
Dave!
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: March Madness?
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| (...) I don't think that the mere mention of a God connotates an invocation of that God. The pledge is directed towards the flag and to our nation-- "under God" is a description of that nation. All the phrase really means is that the majority of the (...) (21 years ago, 25-Mar-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: March Madness?
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| (...) hehe Careful now: look closely at that symbol-- you might find another, more disturbing symbol inside it;-) (...) For good reason:-) (...) Some of his arguments were pretty lame. The pledge is a "prayer"? No wonder the justices seemed rather (...) (21 years ago, 25-Mar-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)
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