Court rules atheism a religion

[Clint]

LAW OF THE LAND
Court rules atheism a religion
Decides 1st Amendment protects prison inmate's right to start study group

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Posted: August 20, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

A federal court of appeals ruled yesterday Wisconsin prison officials violated an inmate's rights because they did not treat atheism as a religion.

"Atheism is [the inmate's] religion, and the group that he wanted to start was religious in nature even though it expressly rejects a belief in a supreme being," the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals said.

More:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=45874

[Adam Zapple]

Now what are the gonna talk about in schools. Toss out evolution...it violates the separation clause.

[lady cop]

i have worked corrections...if you only knew the ridiculous concessions depts. of corrections must make to so-called religions of inmates, whose only real religions include armed robbery and sexual battery for starters.

[Clint]

The logical progression then, would be the acceptance and protection of those who worship and practice evil.

I’ve said for a long time that Atheism is a religion so I suppose that I would also have to say that worshiping evil is religion. That gets us back to the Establishment Clause. Did our founders mean religion in such generic terms? I don’t think so. I think that when they used the word “religion” they meant those religions identifying themselves with the Ten Commandments to which they often referred.

Can government really be all things to all people? Can a nation survive if it doesn't have core values and beliefs other than the idea that freedom means honoring everything?

I can't help myself. I just have to say something. I'm out of control.

[BabyRider]

I can't help myself. I just have to say something. I'm out of control.

Yes, Clint...you're obviously WAY out of control, you maniac!
It really is a shame the way we have to make concessions for the criminals. In my mind, once you're in the system, (and you're there because you have been found guilty of a crime) you have renegged your rights. What's next? Someone comes along and claims witchcraft as a religion and they have to be supplied with a means to practice it? If atheism has been deemed a religion, why couldn't witchcraft? Devil worship? What if someone comes along and claims that their religion requires they worship dogs? Would the system have to begin supplying dogs to the inmates?
If it were up to me, prisoners would have the barest essentials only to survive. You've committed a crime, you reneg your rights to any luxury, no matter how small. Including concessions for worship.

[Clint]

When I was a junior enlisted aboard ship, the conditions were much worse than any inmate has to put up with today. I wasn't able to have my own room like many prisoners do until I was commissioned. As a senior enlisted I had the luxury of sharing a room with three other men. If I wanted to "go to church" I had my choice of Protestant or Catholic. If I was ashore and Jewish, I could go to the base synagogue if there was one.

If our soldiers can live in tents without air-conditioning, eat MREs and never see their loved ones why not people who have committed a crime? IMO they don't have a right to anything but clothing and food to sustain them while they do the time for the crime....Unless they claim to be innocent of course.

[BabyRider]

You know...I never thought of that. There is something SERIOUSLY wrong with that picture. Our soldiers have worse conditions to live in than the prisoners. How is it that's never occurred to me? THAT'S criminal.

[ubetta]

Now what are the gonna talk about in schools. Toss out evolution...it violates the separation clause.

This is the stupidest ruling. WTF are these judges doing? So, this was the Court of Appeals...obviously there was a first ruling but this court will not uphold that ruling. I guess it's on to the Supreme Court now... what a friggin' waste of money.
I would have figured this to be in California but I see it's Wisconsin.

[Far Rider]

Interesting...

So will we keep athiesm seperate from church and state now?

[buttercup]

just gets more & more ridiculous