Separation of Church and State?

[Plakespear]

Okay, so I went to the post office today, and I saw that the flag was flying at half-mast. I wondered who had just died. Than I remembered the Pontiff passed away this weekend.

Now, the Pope meant a lot of things to a lot of people, but should the flag be at half-mast for him? I mean, I though that flying the flag at half-mast was to honor deceased AMERICANS. So, do you think that flying the flag at half-mast for the pope intereferes with the separation of church and state?

[Duker]

Call the ACLU and let the lynching begin. the pope did alot outside of religion for the world, I think he deserves the Half mast

[char]

FLYING THE FLAG AT HALF-STAFF: The pertinent section of the Flag Code says, "by order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possesion, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to Presidential orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law.

It's a sign of respect to a man who had a lot of impact on the world, for good or for bad.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Okay, so I went to the post office today, and I saw that the flag was flying at half-mast. I wondered who had just died. Than I remembered the Pontiff passed away this weekend.

Now, the Pope meant a lot of things to a lot of people, but should the flag be at half-mast for him? I mean, I though that flying the flag at half-mast was to honor deceased AMERICANS. So, do you think that flying the flag at half-mast for the pope intereferes with the separation of church and state?

Whats the last GWB speech you listened too? Guess how many times he says "God" seperation of church and state my ass

Flying the flag at half mast for the pope, is a sign of respect not of the church being the state, half the cabinent believing in the rapture* much worse





*I don't actully know if thats true

[smmokan]

Funny Plakespear, I was thinking along the same lines this past Sunday when I stopped in Golden to get some wine. Why the hell does CO still not allow liquor or wine sales on Sundays? Wasn't this law initially enacted because of the Sunday religious ties? Well then, what about the separation of church and state? If I'm mistaken why liquor isn't sold on Sundays, then I apologize. Either way, in my mind, its horseshit.

[Plakespear]

Well, char pretty much answered my question. I'd probably be asking a similar question, although without the religious context, if Tony Blair or Nelson Mandela had recently died.

Lloyd, now that's a good question. Here in PA the liquor stores are run by the state, so they're also closed on holidays- perhaps it's a state law or Union thing giving employees Sundays off or something. But than the beer stores, which are private, are also closed on Sundays. In NY you can't buy beer before noon on Sunday, I forget about the liquor stores because I never tried to buy booze on a Sunday.

[Grange]

What about holding elections in a church? Separation of church and state is just a figment of the imagination.

[Scipio_Africanus]

What about holding elections in a church? Separation of church and state is just a figment of the imagination.

You are absolutley correct on that point. The Bill of Rights says so:

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof......


The Constitution says nothing on the matter. (It is strictly a nuts and bolts document for formation of government.)

The best a person can do to keep the government totally secular is to hope for a communist revolution or press your legislators to support an admendment to ban any state acknowlegement of religion. Therefore you would have to negate the second part of that sentence because you would prohibit those in government from the free exercise thereof.

I really do not have an interest in the flag issue, but the public misconception that a wall of separation between church and state is built in to the founding documents does.

Don't get me started on the "Right to Privacy."

Cheers,