Comments on: Muslim sues over school’s graduation ‘cock-up’ http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/06/10/muslim-sues-over-school%e2%80%99s-graduation-%e2%80%98cock-up%e2%80%99/ The voice of atheism since 1881 Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:36:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: PhillyChief http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/06/10/muslim-sues-over-school%e2%80%99s-graduation-%e2%80%98cock-up%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-5976 PhillyChief Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:31:37 +0000 http://www.freethinker.co.uk/?p=840#comment-5976 Two things that piss me off: 1) That the schools would be so asinine as to have a school function of any kind in a church 2) That the muslim kid won his objection because it clashed with his religious belief and not because it's a church state violation. The problem with the latter is, would an atheist's objection get the same result? Religious belief is respected in the US, and ANY religious belief gets more respect than having none, so crying foul because the church violates your religious belief gains sympathy, saying it violates your idea that religions are crap or simply pointing to the separation of church and state doesn't necessarily get respect. Two things that piss me off:
1) That the schools would be so asinine as to have a school function of any kind in a church
2) That the muslim kid won his objection because it clashed with his religious belief and not because it’s a church state violation.

The problem with the latter is, would an atheist’s objection get the same result? Religious belief is respected in the US, and ANY religious belief gets more respect than having none, so crying foul because the church violates your religious belief gains sympathy, saying it violates your idea that religions are crap or simply pointing to the separation of church and state doesn’t necessarily get respect.

]]> By: Mike http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/06/10/muslim-sues-over-school%e2%80%99s-graduation-%e2%80%98cock-up%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-5949 Mike Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:58:48 +0000 http://www.freethinker.co.uk/?p=840#comment-5949 This shows the sensibility of the securarist aproach - keeping religion out of public affairs. Each person's interests are best served by religion being a private affair. Actual this was not a victory for muslims but for secularism. It also shows the superiority of a liberal democracy for allowing muslims some freedom of conscience isalmic dominated countries would not allow to others. However it opens a whole can of worms. What about public buildings such as town halls which might have some religious symbolism for historic reasons? I think it must be reasonable to expect compromise from the faith community recognising the historic link between our culture and christianity. There may be a right to freedom of conscience but there must also be the responsibility to accept the history and values of the host culture and to integrate in matters that are of little real significance. Or is a muslims faith so flimsy that an image of God is going to corrupt their purity? Surely our integrity comes from who we are and how we behave, not what the beliefs of the builders of a premesis were. Mike This shows the sensibility of the securarist aproach – keeping religion out of public affairs. Each person’s interests are best served by religion being a private affair. Actual this was not a victory for muslims but for secularism. It also shows the superiority of a liberal democracy for allowing muslims some freedom of conscience isalmic dominated countries would not allow to others.

However it opens a whole can of worms. What about public buildings such as town halls which might have some religious symbolism for historic reasons? I think it must be reasonable to expect compromise from the faith community recognising the historic link between our culture and christianity. There may be a right to freedom of conscience but there must also be the responsibility to accept the history and values of the host culture and to integrate in matters that are of little real significance. Or is a muslims faith so flimsy that an image of God is going to corrupt their purity? Surely our integrity comes from who we are and how we behave, not what the beliefs of the builders of a premesis were.

Mike

]]> By: Valdemar http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/06/10/muslim-sues-over-school%e2%80%99s-graduation-%e2%80%98cock-up%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-5942 Valdemar Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:05:14 +0000 http://www.freethinker.co.uk/?p=840#comment-5942 I'll bet he was very keen to play the martyr. I note that British journalists in the mainstream press are always claiming that American Muslims are much better integrated than their European counterparts. Perhaps 'integrated' means 'willing to file lawsuits for any old bullshit reason, because hurt feeling mean big money'. Yep, sounds real American to me. I’ll bet he was very keen to play the martyr. I note that British journalists in the mainstream press are always claiming that American Muslims are much better integrated than their European counterparts. Perhaps ‘integrated’ means ‘willing to file lawsuits for any old bullshit reason, because hurt feeling mean big money’. Yep, sounds real American to me.

]]> By: Chicken Girl http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/06/10/muslim-sues-over-school%e2%80%99s-graduation-%e2%80%98cock-up%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-5941 Chicken Girl Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:18:08 +0000 http://www.freethinker.co.uk/?p=840#comment-5941 Did the Muslim student make any attempt to bring this problem to the administration's attention <em>before</em> graduation? Or was he more interested in playing martyr? Did the Muslim student make any attempt to bring this problem to the administration’s attention before graduation? Or was he more interested in playing martyr?

]]> By: michael martin http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/06/10/muslim-sues-over-school%e2%80%99s-graduation-%e2%80%98cock-up%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-5940 michael martin Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:01:32 +0000 http://www.freethinker.co.uk/?p=840#comment-5940 My old college used to hold some exams in a church for some bizarre reason. Never had many complaints then, though we did have one shouty protesting muslim in the group for a short time My old college used to hold some exams in a church for some bizarre reason. Never had many complaints then, though we did have one shouty protesting muslim in the group for a short time

]]> By: JesúsTC http://freethinker.co.uk/2008/06/10/muslim-sues-over-school%e2%80%99s-graduation-%e2%80%98cock-up%e2%80%99/comment-page-1/#comment-5936 JesúsTC Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:52:23 +0000 http://www.freethinker.co.uk/?p=840#comment-5936 In my opinion, the fact of a church holding a graduation ceremony is quite inappropiate, but also is the muslim teen's reason to complain. ¡Peace! In my opinion, the fact of a church holding a graduation ceremony is quite inappropiate, but also is the muslim teen’s reason to complain.

¡Peace!

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