Prayer in public places

[Sojourner]

[quote name='jezic' date='Dec 1 2005, 02:22 PM']the court granting power to itself is one of my questions about our whole system.

The power of legislative review was established by a lawsuit against Thomas Jefferson (i think.) In its current scope i strongly do not believe this power was granted by the Constitution. I might be wrong here but i do want to understand.

I do no see how the legislative guidelines would be unfair if they allowed a person to pray. As long as the member was chosen by the proper process as laid out in the rules, why can they not pray in the way that they want to?

Why is it the place of a court to place limits on what people can say as long as the guidelines established by the majority in the legislature allow it?
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According to Wikipedia:
[quote]Judicial review in the United States
The power of judicial review is held by courts in the United States which while developing out of British law is based fundamentally on the tripartite nature of governmental power as enunciated in the United States Constitution. The only explicit definition given in the Constitution is in Article III, which states:

"The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish...The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution..."
The power to strike down laws is not specifically listed, but is an implied power derived from Article III, and Article VI, which declares that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land: no state or federal law is allowed to violate the Constitution. The ultimate court for deciding the constitutionality of federal or state law under the Constitution of the United States is the Supreme Court of the United States. The doctrine of Judicial review was first established as part of Federal law in 1803 in the Supreme Court decision Marbury v. Madison.

The ultimate court for deciding the constitutionality of state law under state constitutions is the highest appellate court in each state -- usually called a Supreme Court, but also sometimes known as the Court of Appeals. Even before Marbury, the doctrine of judicial review was specifically enshrined in some state constitutions, and by 1803 it had been employed in both state courts and federal courts in actions dealing with state statutes.

In the Federal system, courts may only decide actual controversies; it is not possible to request the Federal courts to review a law without at least one party with legal standing to engage in a lawsuit. This principle means that courts sometimes do not exercise their power of review, even when a law is seemingly unconstitutional, for what are often described in the press as "technicalities". In some state courts, such as the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, legislation may be referred in certain circumstances by the legislature or by the executive for an advisory ruling on its constitutionality prior to its enactment (or enforcement).[/quote]

[Socrates]

This ACLU-type removing any religious references from public life is a load of dung!
No one even argued that way until the 1950s.

The First Amendment clause means only that the Federal Government cannot establish a "National Church" a la the Church of England.

It was meant to give citizens freedom of religion, not to ban all religion from public life!

Edited December 2, 2005 by Socrates

[Socrates]

[quote name='Sojourner' date='Dec 1 2005, 02:19 PM']This all begs the question of the role of religion in the public square -- is there something inherently wrong about group prayers to a specific deity in a secular setting?
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Absolutely and resoundingly NOT!!

[PadreSantiago]

I think prayers have no place here. I mean it's like this you goto kindgergarten and bring some cookies WELL you better have enough cookies for everyone. Meaning if you are going to pray to jesus christ you need to pray to allah, buddha, L. Ron hubbard, John smith or whatever god or relgion someone in america might believe in.

[MC Just]

If the minority group of atheists have a problem with public prayer,and religious monuments, and since they represent "nothing" there are plenty of empty spaces in the country, just sit there put some ear phones on and enjoy your nothingness. I'm so sick of atheists and liberals.

[tojo]

[quote name='MC Just' date='Dec 3 2005, 07:58 AM']If the minority group of atheists have a problem with public prayer,and religious monuments, and  since they represent "nothing"  there are plenty of empty spaces in the country, just sit there put some ear phones on and enjoy your nothingness.    I'm so sick of atheists and liberals.
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[Socrates]

[quote name='MC Just' date='Dec 3 2005, 07:58 AM']If the minority group of atheists have a problem with public prayer,and religious monuments, and  since they represent "nothing"  there are plenty of empty spaces in the country, just sit there put some ear phones on and enjoy your nothingness.    I'm so sick of atheists and liberals.
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I recently read in the paper that the American Atheists were demanding that the plain white crosses along highways to commemorate fallen highway troopers be taken down!

Those atheists are unbelievable!

[photosynthesis]

[quote name='philothea' date='Dec 1 2005, 11:58 AM']I'd rather have no prayer than some wishy-washy "non-sectarian" prayer.  What the heck is that supposed to be?  It'll offend atheists just the same anyhow.
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same here! the ACLU just wants to censor everything

[jezic]

no not everything, just everything dealing with Christians.