[Vision2020] Religious Exemption: Alcohol, etc.

[Tbertruss at aol.com]

Phil et. al.

The following explanation of the issues regarding this debate on Christ 
Church, or any religion, using wine supplied to minors in a religious ceremony on 
government tax payer supported property or buildings, should ease your 
concerns, Phil, unless you want to break down the separation of church and state.

First, I must correct one of your implications regarding the facts I stated 
regarding alcohol abuse and youth.

It is not "supposedly a crime" to give alcohol to minors.  It is in fact a 
crime.  I did not write or enact these laws.  To point out that supplying 
alcohol to minors is against the law is not "preaching," it is stating a fact.  And 
all the data I provided on the abuse of alcohol by minors and youth, and the 
marketing of alcohol to youth, is not "preaching," again, it is stating facts.

Now, on to some essential facts and principles involved in religious use of 
drugs: 
  
http://www.lectlaw.com/files/drg25.htm

It is well known that in fact religious ceremonial use of certain quite 
otherwise illegal drugs is allowed with a religious exemption, as you can read at 
the web link above.  I am sure that your use of alcohol in the Jewish religion 
for ceremonial use by minors can be or already is protected by the guarantee 
of religious freedom that our big bad evil government and the US Constitution 
provides.

However, consider that the legal guidelines for the religious use of public 
taxpayer (i. e. government, as in the Idaho State government or the US Federal 
government) supported property or institutions, given the principle of the 
separation of church and state, which is wisely insisted upon by the US 
Constitution to protect everyone's religious freedoms, suggests it is unwise and/or 
illegal to allow breaking the laws regarding supplying alcohol to minors with a 
religious exemption in a religious ceremony on or in public taxpayer supported 
buildings or institutions.

I know that there are serious efforts underway to break down the separation 
of church and state as a strict legal principle, but I think this principle 
should be enforced rather strictly to avoid the slippery slope of endorsement of 
specific religions by the government.

Why do you appear to insist that the government support your religious 
beliefs and rituals?  This is odd reasoning coming from a "libertarian."

Christ Church can hold their religious ceremonies, and offer wine in 
communion, on private property, to follow the US Constitutional guarantees of 
separation of church and state.  I doubt the police will raid their ceremony to arrest 
the adults who are supplying alcohol to minors.  And if the police did, then 
the ceremonial use of wine for minors could be fought in the courts on the 
grounds of religious freedom.

Phil wrote:

"Using the example of the communion wine 
and the insistence that any wine used in a religious ceremony given to 
minors is supposedly a crime as preached by Ted and several others here on 
this particular listserv, Jews would indeed be barred from holding a Pesach 
Seder on University or City Property.  Similarly, Catholics who offer wine 
with their communions would also be barred from such religious practice 
involving those properties.  Only temperance minded religions need apply so 
order up the grade juice."

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Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett



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