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<P>Donovan,</P>
<P>Others have already pointed out the Supreme Court decisions interpreting the Constitution. That works for me. I have lived in a country with a state religion, and I've always appreciated the difference between that approach and ours. I disagree with your views on state action and religion, and am grateful the issue has been settled.</P>
<P>Sunil<BR></P></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>From: <I>Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com></I><BR>To: <I>Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam@hotmail.com>, vision2020@moscow.com</I><BR>Subject: <I>RE: [Vision2020] Public prayer on public money</I><BR>Date: <I>Wed, 17 Aug 2005 20:27:26 -0700 (PDT)</I><BR>>Sunil,<BR>><BR>>Can you please quote me in the Constitution where it<BR>>says you have a right to be protected from being<BR>>around religion and prayer? Because I cannot find. I<BR>>do see where it says the government cannot stop me<BR>>from practicing my religion, but I cannot find where<BR>>it says people have to hide all religious writings,<BR>>symbols, and speak out of the earshot of anyone that<BR>>may not wish to listen?<BR>><BR>><BR>>If you are looking to save time at a public meeting<BR>>there are areas that
you can cut out that will save<BR>>more time than the prayer. But again, where does it<BR>>say that public meetings should run in the most<BR>>efficient manner as to not waste time or upset Sunil's<BR>>schedule?<BR>><BR>>"It does not follow that you are being forced to<BR>>practice atheism if you don't pray at a public<BR>>meeting."<BR>><BR>>Maybe not, but it does follow that if you are<BR>>preventing us from praying you are preventing us from<BR>>practicing our religion is says we are suppose to<BR>>pray. Nor is allowing for prayer forcing a religion or<BR>>establishing a religion.<BR>><BR>>Donovan J Arnold<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>>--- Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam@hotmail.com><BR>>wrote:<BR>><BR>><BR>>---------------------------------<BR>><BR>>Donovan,<BR>><BR>>I want you to be able to say all the
prayers you want,<BR>>whenever and wherever you want, as long as you want,<BR>>as long as I don't have to hear them. I want you to<BR>>practice your religion, but not at the expense of my<BR>>time if it's at a public meeting. If we're at your<BR>>church, I'm more than willing to listen to you pray<BR>>out loud, because I have the simple choice of not<BR>>going there at all.<BR>><BR>>It does not follow that you are being forced to<BR>>practice atheism if you don't pray at a public<BR>>meeting. You're not going to be dragged to a gulag,<BR>>or barred from private prayer or from attending your<BR>>church. You're simply not going to be able to use up<BR>>other people's time at a public meeting for something<BR>>you can do silently at that meeting.<BR>><BR>>Politicians want to pray at public
meetings so they<BR>>can act pious for the cameras and the public. You<BR>>think W's praying is working out well for us?<BR>><BR>>sunil<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR>>---------------------------------<BR>><BR>>From: Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005@yahoo.com><BR>>To: Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com>,<BR>>joanopyr@earthlink.net, vision2020@moscow.com<BR>>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Public prayer on public<BR>>money<BR>>Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 16:31:15 -0700 (PDT)<BR>> >The Government representing a FAITH or Religion is<BR>> >against the Constitution Mr. Hansen. Allowing a<BR>>moment<BR>> >to pray does not.<BR>> ><BR>> >Further, it would be unfair that 95% of the people<BR>>get<BR>> >only the same amount of time as the other 5%. The<BR>>
>government represents people, not Gods, so it should<BR>> >be the people, not Gods that get equal time.<BR>> ><BR>> >Finally, by not allowing prayer you force people to<BR>> >follow atheism, by allowing prayer you do not force<BR>> >atheists to say the prayer. Therefore, it is<BR>> >discriminatory NOT to allow prayer because you are<BR>> >preventing them from practicing their faith and<BR>> >forcing them to practice another.<BR>> ><BR>> >What you are saying is that because my moment of<BR>> >worship does not suit everybody, I cannot practice<BR>>it.<BR>> >This is the state stopping me from my free exercise<BR>>of<BR>> >religion.<BR>> ><BR>> >Donovan J Arnold<BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> >--- Tom Hansen <ththansenomoscowom> wrote:<BR>> ><BR>> > > As
I have stated twice before, Arnold -<BR>> > ><BR>> > > I would be more than willing to support prayer at<BR>> > > all city council sessions,<BR>> > > provided that each (and EVERY) faith represented<BR>> > > within Moscow is provided<BR>> > > "equal time".<BR>> > ><BR>> > > Lacking this possibility, the session further<BR>>lacks<BR>> > > equality. And I am<BR>> > > certain that you wouldn't want that, now would<BR>>you?<BR>> > ><BR>> > > Enough said.<BR>> > ><BR>> > > Tom Hansen<BR>> > > Moscow, Idaho<BR>> > ><BR>> > > "If not us, who?<BR>> > > If not now, when?"<BR>> > ><BR>> > > - Unknown<BR>> > ><BR>> > > -----Original Message-----<BR>> > ><BR>> > > From:
Donovan Arnold<BR>> > > [mamailtoodonovanjarnold05@yahoo.com]<BR>> > > Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 2:57 PM<BR>> > > To: Tom Hansen; jojoanopyraearthlinket;<BR>> > > vision2020@momoscowom<BR>> > > Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Public prayer on public<BR>> > > money<BR>> > ><BR>> > > Mr. Hansen,<BR>> > ><BR>> > > You are only offering circular arguments. A<BR>>speaker<BR>> > > can also ignore a prayer completely at a meeting<BR>> > > too.<BR>> > > You silly man. So why not let those that believe<BR>>in<BR>> > > praying before conducting important business pray<BR>> > > and<BR>> > > those that wish not to think about something else.<BR>> > > Why<BR>> > > should those that wish to pray be denied. If you<BR>> > >
allow<BR>> > > prayer, everyone gets what they want. If you<BR>> > > disallow<BR>> > > prayer only those that wish not to pray get what<BR>> > > they<BR>> > > want.<BR>> > ><BR>> > > Donovan J Arnold<BR>> > ><BR>> > ><BR>> > ><BR>> > ><BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> >____________________________________________________<BR>> >Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page<BR>> >http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs<BR>> ><BR>> ><BR>> >_____________________________________________________<BR>> > List services made available by First Step<BR>>Internet,<BR>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<BR>>
> http://www.fsr.net<BR>> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> >ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<BR>><BR>> ><BR>>_____________________________________________________<BR>> > List services made available by First Step<BR>> > Internet,<BR>> > serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.<BR>> ><BR>> > http://www.fsr.net<BR>> ><BR>> > mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>> ><BR>>ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ<BR>>
><BR>><BR>>__________________________________________________<BR>>Do You Yahoo!?<BR>>Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around<BR>>http://mail.yahoo.com<BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></div></html>