Comments on Religious Names for Cities and Towns To Be Banned?

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Separation of Church and State...

is based on convenience.  It is not an expression of something real, since both church community (Church) and political community (State) both co-exist in one moral entity:  the nation.  The distinction is based on the principle of subsidiarity:  one function should not meddle with the functions of another.  It is due to this latter that clerics are banned from taking up public office.  What is sad is that the separation of Church and State should be made to extend to the practise of naming towns and cities when in fact the State -- per se -- does not have it among its functions, nor the Church for that matter.  How San Francisco got its name is historical; change it now because of areligious bias disrespects the memory of those who built up the town. 

posted by Friar__Tuck on July 27, 2004 at 10:00 PM | link to this | reply

Friar, the names of new communitites are so banal, Buena Vista, when

no Good View exists, Los Lagos in the middle of the arid desert, silliness. The idea of changing the name of San Francisco or refusing to allow another San Francisco township to be named as such is also silliness. People don't have enough to do in their lives, to build something good of it  and so, they pull things down instead.

The separation of church and state was never meant to be this new interpretation of it, nor the other newer interpretations of it. Hopefully this 'nothingness' of church and state will not mean hiding one's beliefs from everyone on the planet in the future, which would then interfere  with our Freedom of Speech, which is always an interesting counterpart to the arguments presented.

They are banning head coverings and 'oversized' jewelry crosses and yamulkas in France and that is interesting to follow......in the news.  Will they ban the Orthodox boys' curls and the beards and certain clothing also? I  am watching the unfolding story.

posted by benzinha on July 27, 2004 at 9:01 PM | link to this | reply

In nothing is there a middle ground.
The pendulum swings to right and left.  We will never be able to reach a middle ground in this issue (or any other).  Middle ground is a fantasy.

posted by TAPS. on July 27, 2004 at 7:38 AM | link to this | reply

Yes, I think that with a concept such as "separation of church and state"
it is good not to take the idea too far.  The goal is to keep Christianity from being imposed upon the people, not to restrict it from them.

posted by TARZANA on July 27, 2004 at 7:28 AM | link to this | reply