eepmeep (John Fernandez) wrote in message
...
Religions are for suckers. Better to believe in the Easter Bunny really.

Eventually, a belief in the Easter Bunny, who always has been peaceful, might
get one into trouble in the United States. Perhaps the United States government
might conclude that such a belief would encourage dangerous pacifist tendencies
and hence should be considered "anti-patriotic". :-)

In my view, it's better (at least it should be less dangerous) for someone to
worship the Easter Bunny than to worship the United States government. :-)

"It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is 'soporific'."
--Beatrix Potter (The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies)

--Nick

The Easter Bunny is a religious figure just the wrong one.

actually pacifism among religious people is a contitutionally protected
status in the usa, nick. while difficult to establish during the ea of our
military draft (which ended in 1975) the C-O (conscicensous objector)status
has long existed.
during the second world war, one cousin of mine (now dead ) a long time
marxist, had C-O status. The US government's solution to this was to make
him a medic on the bloody 'burma road', one of the most dangerous jobs in
the world. he survived the war and became an important doctor.
as far as easter rabbits are concerned, governments find fertility useful
for producing more troops.
"Nick" wrote in message
om...
eepmeep (John Fernandez) wrote in message
...
Religions are for suckers. Better to believe in the Easter Bunny
really.

Eventually, a belief in the Easter Bunny, who always has been peaceful,
might
get one into trouble in the United States. Perhaps the United States
government
might conclude that such a belief would encourage dangerous pacifist
tendencies
and hence should be considered "anti-patriotic". :-)

In my view, it's better (at least it should be less dangerous) for someone
to
worship the Easter Bunny than to worship the United States government. :-)

"It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is 'soporific'."
--Beatrix Potter (The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies)

--Nick

(PJDBAD) wrote in message
...
The Easter Bunny is a religious figure just the wrong one.

Would PJDBAD prefer to worship a sacred Flying Squirrel? :-)

'Go forth and distribute food, not bombs.'
--attributed to the Easter Bunny

--Nick

"marc margolies" wrote in message
...
actually pacifism among religious people is a contitutionally protected
status in the usa, nick. while difficult to establish during the ea of our
military draft (which ended in 1975) the C-O (conscicensous objector) status
has long existed....

Even though he was (and still is) a dedicated pacifist, an American friend of
mine was conscripted and sent through basic military training for combat in
the Vietnam War. The United States government had refused to acknowledge his
claimed status as a conscientious objector because he did not belong to a
formal religious body that had been officially recognised as pacifist.

'Is it the region inside a man, or out, that gives him peace?'
--George Meredith (Beauchamp's Career)

--Nick

yes, that happenned alot. our constitution protects pacifism under the
'establishment clause,' whereby laws may not be enacted that infringe upon
religious practices. a quaker could not be forced to carry a gun, e.g.
our USA laws do not accept protection of pacifism as a political criticism
of government policy.
"Nick" wrote in message
om...
"marc margolies" wrote in message
...
actually pacifism among religious people is a contitutionally protected
status in the usa, nick. while difficult to establish during the ea of
our
military draft (which ended in 1975) the C-O (conscicensous objector)
status
has long existed....

Even though he was (and still is) a dedicated pacifist, an American friend
of
mine was conscripted and sent through basic military training for combat
in
the Vietnam War. The United States government had refused to acknowledge
his
claimed status as a conscientious objector because he did not belong to a
formal religious body that had been officially recognised as pacifist.

'Is it the region inside a man, or out, that gives him peace?'
--George Meredith (Beauchamp's Career)

--Nick

..
yes, that happenned alot. our constitution protects pacifism under the
'establishment clause,' whereby laws may not be enacted that infringe upon
religious practices. a quaker could not be forced to carry a gun, e.g.
our USA laws do not accept protection of pacifism as a political criticism
of government policy.


Conscientious objection does not require any stance whatever on "government
policy."


I may believe it is wrong to murder, and therefore object to participating in
any activity (governmental or private enterprise) which entails the killing
other people. If the government decides to except say, Quakers, from the
draft, but makes me go for not being a member of select groups, it is
practicing religious favoritism. Preferential treatment of certain religious
believers violates the principle of separation of church and state, to which I
emphatically say: take up arms! :-)

you might argue that your failure to prove your case as a conscientious
objector is a form of religious discrimination against you. are you
non-violent? did this happen? or is this a gedanken experiment?
"NoMoreChess" wrote in message
...
.
yes, that happenned alot. our constitution protects pacifism under the
'establishment clause,' whereby laws may not be enacted that infringe
upon
religious practices. a quaker could not be forced to carry a gun, e.g.
our USA laws do not accept protection of pacifism as a political
criticism
of government policy.


Conscientious objection does not require any stance whatever on
"government
policy."


I may believe it is wrong to murder, and therefore object to
participating in
any activity (governmental or private enterprise) which entails the
killing
other people. If the government decides to except say, Quakers, from the
draft, but makes me go for not being a member of select groups, it is
practicing religious favoritism. Preferential treatment of certain
religious
believers violates the principle of separation of church and state, to
which I
emphatically say: take up arms! :-)

..
Did this happen to me? Was I a victim? No.




MINORITY REPORT

I was responding to comments which clearly seemed to imply that it was okay
for Uncle Sam to send "conscientious objectors" who happenned not to be members
of "preferred" groups, such as the Quakers, to war, in their stead. I find
this disturbing.

Two issues: *separation of church and state* should preclude any such
nonsense. A man's religion should be *irrelevent* to Uncle Sam.

And how does Uncle Sam "justify" giving greater "weight" to the conscientious
objections of Quakers?
While their religion may endorse or officialize their objections to violence,
a Quaker's consciencious objection is nevertheless, no more significant than a
non-Quaker's. Even a lowly atheist should be treated equally under the law, if
we respect the principles laid down in the Constitution.