<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=10 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Phil et. al.<BR>
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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.<BR>
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First, I must correct one of your implications regarding the facts I stated regarding alcohol abuse and youth.<BR>
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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.<BR>
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Now, on to some essential facts and principles involved in religious use of drugs: <BR>
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<A HREF="http://www.lectlaw.com/files/drg25.htm">http://www.lectlaw.com/files/drg25.htm</A><BR>
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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.<BR>
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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.<BR>
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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.<BR>
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Why do you appear to insist that the government support your religious beliefs and rituals? This is odd reasoning coming from a "libertarian."<BR>
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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.<BR>
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Phil wrote:<BR>
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"Using the example of the communion wine <BR>
and the insistence that any wine used in a religious ceremony given to <BR>
minors is supposedly a crime as preached by Ted and several others here on <BR>
this particular listserv, Jews would indeed be barred from holding a Pesach <BR>
Seder on University or City Property. Similarly, Catholics who offer wine <BR>
with their communions would also be barred from such religious practice <BR>
involving those properties. Only temperance minded religions need apply so <BR>
order up the grade juice."<BR>
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Vision2020 Post by Ted Moffett<BR>
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