Political quotes.  Run & Hide.
Jehana

Fri Oct 20 15:53:55 2000
I'm short on formatting time, but you may wish to check out these responses to the question at the following site:*p*http://www.webwhiteblue.org/debate/2000-10-15/*p**br*                                               Today's Rolling Cyber *p*Debate*br*                                               Question for George W. *p*Bush *p*                               Question: With religious*br*                               diversity increasing, what are*br*                               your thoughts on the*br*                               protection of religious*br*                               freedom and the separation of*br*                               church and state? Should*br*                               religions like Wicca be*br*                               banned from recognition by*br*                               the military, as some*br*                    legislators suggest?*br*                    Submitted from Amber of San Diego, California *p*through*br*                    Yahoo! (10/15/00) *p*                     *p*                    Answer from George W. Bush:*p*                    Religious Freedom And Tolerance Is A Protected *p*Right*br*                    I am committed to the First Amendment principles of *p*religious freedom,*br*                    tolerance, and diversity.*p*                    Whether Mormon, Methodist, Jewish, or Muslim, *p*Americans should be*br*                    able to participate in their constitutional free *p*exercise of religion. I do not*br*                    think witchcraft is a religion, and I do not think *p*it is in any way*br*                    appropriate for the U.S. military to promote it. *p**br******************************br*                  *p*                    Answer from Al Gore:*p*                    Respect For Religion*br*                    Freedom of religion need not mean freedom from *p*religion.*p*                    For too long, national leaders have been trapped in *p*a dead end debate.*br*                    Some on the right have said for too long that a *p*specific set of religious*br*                    values should be imposed, threatening the founders' *p*precious separation*br*                    of church and state. In contrast, some on the left *p*have said for too long*br*                    that religious values should play no role in *p*addressing public needs.*br*                    These are false choices: hollow secularism or *p*right-wing religion. Both*br*                    positions are rigid. They are not where the new *p*solutions lie. I believe*br*                    strongly in the separation of church and state. But *p*freedom of religion*br*                    need not mean freedom from religion. There is a *p*better way. *p*                    America's national identity is not shaped solely by *p*our diverse faith*br*                    traditions. But we are a people who believe that *p*these traditions*br*                    contribute to the formation of values with which we *p*agree to live out our*br*                    common lives together. *p*                    Our founders believed deeply in faith. They created *p*the Bill of Rights in*br*                    large measure to protect its free expression. One *p*reason America is the*br*                    most religious country on earth is precisely *p*because of the church-state*br*                    divide: people who are free to worship as they wish *p*worship more freely. *p*                    Our founders also knew history. They could look *p*back on centuries of*br*                    religious war in Europe that tore nations apart. *p*They resolved that*br*                    religious war should never tear this nation apart, *p*and the only way to do*br*                    that was to allow religious freedom. *p*                    The history of the United States has proven our *p*founders’ wisdom. They*br*                    believed -- and I believe -- that we can protect *p*against the establishment*br*                    of religion without infringing in any way on its *p*free exercise. That belief is*br*                    at the very heart of our Constitution. And we must *p*keep on working to*br*                    make it a reality in our public life. *p*********************p*You will note Bush gets the notion completely wrong (soon he's gonna complain that folks want "special rights"), and that Gore meanders on into barely-readable politico-obsfuscation.  *p*I gag thinking about either of 'em.  *p*-- Jehana.*p**p*