33333 put up that clip of O'Donnell and the first ammendment..

[loco]

They can pray and the government can stop them from praying. But the government also cant force a kid to pray if he or she dosent want to

Is that a typo?  The public school teacher can or cannot start the class with prayer?

[Soul Crusher]

Is that a typo?  The public school teacher can or cannot start the class with prayer?

In most schools they probably start with a demo of how to put a condom on a cucumber. 

[Option D]

Is that a typo?  The public school teacher can or cannot start the class with prayer?

i ment the government Cant stop them...

[LurkerNoMore]

It's not the same thing.  Opening Congress with a prayer means members of Congress are practicing their faith at work, a Federal government job at a Federal government building.  

In that case, an atheist who doesn't join in with the praying can lose his job under those conditions.

[LurkerNoMore]

Again, if there is no separation why CAN'T Congress pass a church tax?

[loco]

Again, if there is no separation why CAN'T Congress pass a church tax?

I never said whether or not there is separation.  I am asking why members of Congress can pray at work on Federal government property.

[LurkerNoMore]

I never said whether or not there is separation.  I am asking why members of Congress can pray at work on Federal government property.

Exactly.  And I am furthering the point you are making by asking why Congress can't pass a church tax if there is no separation involved between the two.

No one is answering.

[Kazan]

Exactly.  And I am furthering the point you are making by asking why Congress can't pass a church tax if there is no separation involved between the two.

No one is answering.

Well this is a tricky one, first you would have to look at the 501c3 of the tax code Since 1954 for some reason churches have been applying for tax exempt status even though they don't need to. The whole issue on this is somewhat confusing. It appears to be a slight of hand perpetrated by LBJ to shut the church up. So to answer your question, no the government cannot tax the chuck with or without the tax code

[LurkerNoMore]

no the government cannot tax the chuck with or without the tax code

Why?

[Kazan]

Why?

Because religion cannot be free if you have to pay for it, even via taxation

[Skip8282]

I never said whether or not there is separation.  I am asking why members of Congress can pray at work on Federal government property.

Because not all laws apply to Congress, ex:  Healthcare.  The big ones you will usually hear about are Freedom of Information Act, EEO, and OSHA - none of which apply to Congress (though they will often respond to FOIA requests). 

I'm not a lawyer so I can't tell you all which laws apply and which don't, but if you think that just because it applies to the American people, it applies to Congress - well, it just doesn't work that way.

[LurkerNoMore]

Because religion cannot be free if you have to pay for it, even via taxation

There is another reason.  What is it?

[Kazan]

There is another reason.  What is it?

That the church/religion is outside the jurisdiction of civil government

[LurkerNoMore]

That the church/religion is outside the jurisdiction of civil government

So there is a separation?