On The Third Hand

Sunday, 24 Feb

Congratulations to Canada [permalink]

I've been mostly ignoring the Olympics, but I did catch the fact that we got beat. Your team did a great job.
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I'm not tolerant of Everything "religious" [permalink]

Yes, those are scare quotes.

I was reminded by a gentleman that there are certain "religious" institutions in the US who advocate the violent overthrow of other religions and of secular organizations in the US (including the US government).

In my opinion, any religion operating in the US who advocates such things has become a subversive political organization, not a religion. Any who advocate (or attempt) terrorist acts, violent insurrection, murder, or any other coercive acts to advance their so-called "religious" agenda should not be tolerated.

Depending on which laws they violate -- they should be shut down, tossed in jail, booted out of the country (if non-citizens), and probably spied on first so they can all be found. Please note I'm not talking of just radical Islamic organizations. Timothy McVeigh, for instance, was not Islamic.

As has been said before, "The Constitution is not a suicide pact".
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Mini - blogwatch [permalink]

• The blogger Poet Laureate has written one for Daniel Pearl.
• TV Punditwatch is up.
• The Kolkata Libertarian is auditioning for cushy editorial job at Al Jazeera.
• Libertarian Samizdata should host more blogger bashes.This one has resulted (so far) in pictures of some very attractive men (albeit with too many clothes on...) and a delightfully hedonistic and whimsical look at the future.
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More links [permalink]

I've added several more blogs. Please note that I'm trying to link a very wide range of opinions here. Even people I usually disagree with sometimes have interesting things to say.
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Religious Bigotry Watch [permalink]

John Ashcroft: "Civilized people --Muslims, Christians and Jews -- all understand that the source of freedom and human dignity is the Creator. Civilized people of all religious faiths are called to the defense of His creation. ... " Today Americans are coming together, united against a common enemy. For people of all faiths -- be they Christians, Jews or Muslims -- it is impossible not to see the stark difference between the way of God and the way of the terrorists. "[link via Amygdala]

Religious portion of First Amendment to the US Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."[emphasis mine]. Our founding fathers were educated men, and I'm sure if they had meant "only free excercise of those religions descended from the religions of a particular desert tribe" they would have said just that.

Bush's quote from yesterday's post here implies that he was trying to keep someone from freely exercising their religion, because he disagreed that it was a "religion". If you listen to his speeches, he generally "forgets" any religions other than Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Ashcroft is even more blatant about it. As private people, they are entitled to their own opinions on religion. As public officials of the US, they have taken oaths to "uphold and defendthe Constitution of the United States". That does not [note this Will Vehrs] mean either of them should actively (as government officials) promote any religion -- in fact it means they should not try to establish some religions and deny exercise of others.
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