Court rules highway cross unconstitutional

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Pens1566

Lifer
Oct 11, 2005
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Where are the 1st Amendment warriors screaming that anyone against a private organizations freedom of speech is an enemy of the Constitution?

Religious displays on public land != structure used for worship on private land
 

xj0hnx

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2007
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Not so excellent dodge on the whole apples/bananas comparison ...

Is the case about the memorials, or the use of religious symbols? If the latter it's quite apples to apples. Why do you hate the Constitution and people's freedom of religion so much?
 

theeedude

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
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Wow, using dead troopers to push your religious agenda onto others?
Disgusting. I am OK with small crosses, stars of David, etc for families to be able to commemorate.
 

Pens1566

Lifer
Oct 11, 2005
13,792
11,434
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Is the case about the memorials, or the use of religious symbols? If the latter it's quite apples to apples. Why do you hate the Constitution and people's freedom of religion so much?

Its the latter, and if you can't grasp the difference between it being on public vs private land I have to wonder who is constantly reminding you to breathe.
 

xj0hnx

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2007
9,262
3
76
Wow, using dead troopers to push your religious agenda onto others?
Disgusting. I am OK with small crosses, stars of David, etc for families to be able to commemorate.

HAHAHA, just about what I expected regarding a Christian symbol from our head exploding pretending to support the Constitution loony leftist.

Its the latter, and if you can't grasp the difference between it being on public vs private land I have to wonder who is constantly reminding you to breathe.

Oh I grasp why you loony leftist rationalize it so you can pretend to still be for the 1st Amendment when it suits you.
 

xj0hnx

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2007
9,262
3
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Another not so excellent dodge.

Yes, you're really quite terrible at dodging.

If the memorials are ok, and the issue is with the fact that they are using Christian symbols, than you are in fact stepping on their 1st Amendment rights, why do you hate the Constitution and people's freedom of religion so much?
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
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Yes, you're really quite terrible at dodging.

If the memorials are ok, and the issue is with the fact that they are using Christian symbols, than you are in fact stepping on their 1st Amendment rights, why do you hate the Constitution and people's freedom of religion so much?

Freedom of Religion is not Freedom of Practice. As stated many times by the SC and I brought up in the OT thread about the stupid bitch from Morocco trying to sue Disney over her Hijab.

There is a separation of state and religion. Should be and should always be. Even indirect ties can lead to direct ties.

If you want to display religious symbols do it privately. When you do it on public land, about government officials, and use government symbols with the religious symbols, you are giving indirect support of government affiliation to those symbols.
 

MotF Bane

No Lifer
Dec 22, 2006
60,801
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Wow, using dead troopers to push your religious agenda onto others?
Disgusting. I am OK with small crosses, stars of David, etc for families to be able to commemorate.

And what about those bills that use the dead to push a gun control agenda? Does that bother you too?
 

Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
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Seems pretty simple. Crosses on a public right of way aren't allowed because they amount to government endorsement of Christianity.
 

Pens1566

Lifer
Oct 11, 2005
13,792
11,434
136
Yes, you're really quite terrible at dodging.

If the memorials are ok, and the issue is with the fact that they are using Christian symbols, than you are in fact stepping on their 1st Amendment rights, why do you hate the Constitution and people's freedom of religion so much?

Reading is fundamental ...
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
57,529
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Is the case about the memorials, or the use of religious symbols? If the latter it's quite apples to apples. Why do you hate the Constitution and people's freedom of religion so much?
Wait, didn't the Judge rule that it wasn't a Constitutional Right? Do you also realize that this applies to other Religious Symbols such as the Star of David and the Crescent (or what ever thing the Moslems use)?

If this was a Private Toll Road the State or Feds couldn't say or do shit about it.
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
57,529
3
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Wow, using dead troopers to push your religious agenda onto others?
Disgusting.
Give me a break, they aren't using that to push any religious agenda. It's a fucking memorial nothing more.

Seems to me that if these are paid for by a private group it's no different than Billboards on Freeways and I've seen religious Billboards before promoting a Church. Billboards are private property.
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
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3
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Seems pretty simple. Crosses on a public right of way aren't allowed because they amount to government endorsement of Christianity.
Well if they were paid for by the State then yes but if they were paid for by Private Groups it is no different than a Billboard IMO.
 

xj0hnx

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2007
9,262
3
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Freedom of Religion is not Freedom of Practice. As stated many times by the SC and I brought up in the OT thread about the stupid bitch from Morocco trying to sue Disney over her Hijab.

This is so completely removed from the chick at Disney it isn't even funny. Having a memorial with a cross, or Star of David, or Muslim Crescent isn't "practicing religion". And it certainly isn't establishing a state sponsored religion.

There is a separation of state and religion.
Is that in the Constitution?

If you want to display religious symbols do it privately. When you do it on public land, about government officials, and use government symbols with the religious symbols, you are giving indirect support of government affiliation to those symbols.
Bullshit.
 

jackschmittusa

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
5,972
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I want to erect pentagrams and other Satanic symbols along lots of public highways. I think they should also have some kind of government symbols on them too. Would be cheap to do as long as it's public land. Of course no one would even think it was about promoting Satanism right? No one would have a problem with it would they?
 

theeedude

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
35,787
6,197
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Give me a break, they aren't using that to push any religious agenda. It's a fucking memorial nothing more.

Seems to me that if these are paid for by a private group it's no different than Billboards on Freeways and I've seen religious Billboards before promoting a Church. Billboards are private property.

Are these crosses on public property or on private property adjacent to the road like a billboard would be? You can put a big cross and crucify yourself on it if it's on your private property.
 

CrackRabbit

Lifer
Mar 30, 2001
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Give me a break, they aren't using that to push any religious agenda. It's a fucking memorial nothing more.

Seems to me that if these are paid for by a private group it's no different than Billboards on Freeways and I've seen religious Billboards before promoting a Church. Billboards are private property.

A little bit different, Billboards are (usually) on private land. These memorials are in the R.O.W. for the road, or public land.

Really if they wanted to do it the right way they could be like California and dedicate a small section of the highway to the officer. No religious symbols, just a road sign.
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
57,529
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The judges also disregarded suggestions that since most of the deceased troopers were Mormon, where the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not uses the cross as a religious symbol, the highway memorials were merely symbols of death and did not promote a a particular faith.
Hmmm, most of these troopers were Mormons not Christians and the Mormon Church doesn't even use the Cross as a religious symbol.
 
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Throckmorton

Lifer
Aug 23, 2007
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Well if they were paid for by the State then yes but if they were paid for by Private Groups it is no different than a Billboard IMO.

What if private groups paid to turn the White House into a Mosque where B-Rock The Islamic Shock Hussein Superallah Obama could be the Imam-in-Chief?
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
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This is so completely removed from the chick at Disney it isn't even funny. Having a memorial with a cross, or Star of David, or Muslim Crescent isn't "practicing religion". And it certainly isn't establishing a state sponsored religion.

How so? You brought up the freedom of religion. Putting up a cross is a practice of a religion. Since you are the one that mention the association between these roadside crosses and religion, then I brought out the fact that freedom of religion does not grant the right to freedom of practice. The principles behind the two examples, while dissimilar in appearance, are the same. Also when you look up the word religious practice it is refering to a religious ritual. Are you tell me now the act of placing a cross at a memorial for the dead is not a religious ritual? Are you telling me that wearing a Hijab around is not a religious ritual? While the rituals are different, they are still both rituals. Rituals can be restricted by the government. End of story there.

As for the second sentence in that paragraph, you are right and wrong there. It is not a direct sponsorship or endorsement, but an indirect one. It would be akin to a business that does not belong to the BBB, but still puts the symbol on their door to drive in customers. Is the BBB endorsing them? or are they using an indirect endorsement? So what if the BBB finds out and asks them to take it off, aren't they entitled to that? Is that any different than the government finding out that someone is using them as an indirect endorsement and they are asking now for that to be removed?
 

HumblePie

Lifer
Oct 30, 2000
14,665
440
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Hmmm, most of these troopers were Mormons not Christians and the Mormon Church doesn't even use the Cross as a religious symbol.

Dude, that was a dumb post. Mormons are Christians. They just have more books besides the new testament. Go look it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon

They are called the Later Day Saints of Jesus Christ. They use the Cross along with other symbols that other Christians do not use.