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Point of information: that’s not the reason or at least not the primary one. Many of the colonies had an established Church and the framers did not want the Fe

Point of information: that’s not the reason or at least not the primary one. Many of the colonies had an established Church and the framers did not want the Federal government impinging on states rights. Eventually all the states did disestablish but the last of those did so years after the constitution was ratified. I don’t know what any of that has to do with Santa hats. Anecdote time: We are as I mentioned in my other comment Hindus. When my kids were little they were into Christmas as much as any other American children and we followed certain traditions but my daughter in particular was peeved that we never had a Christmas tree. (No ideological reason I just couldn’t be bothered.). Recently she mentioned this to her friend who then gave her a small tree as a present. That friend? A hijab-wearing Algerian Muslim.

dsr_ 7y ago
Established churches lead to oppression of minority viewpoints. What do you want to do, fight over it?
- jaldhar 7y ago
  I think you left out “can” before lead. I was born and brought up in England where Elizabeth II is, as the coins say, “By Gods Grace Defender of the ((Protestant) Christian) Faith” and I don’t recall anyone including myself being particularly oppressed by the state church. Even the plentiful Atheists where I lived didn’t feel the need to acknowledge it let alone fight.
  - dsr_ 7y ago
    In 1533 Henry VIII decided he wanted to be head of his own church. The first war about that started the next year. Protestants and Catholics fought for the next five hundred years, including the English Civil War and the Irish Rebellion. Around 30% of Ireland's population died or emigrated, which is why there are so many Irish-descended people in North America, Australia, and elsewhere. There has only been peace between the UK and Ireland since 1998, the Good Friday Agreement. The religious war is directly responsible for a major issue in Brexit. Either you lived through this or your parents did.
    - jaldhar 7y ago
      My parents arrived in the U.K. in the 1960s so no. Nevertheless I get your point though I must quibble with your specific historical examples. One can argue that it was the King deciding once and for all “This is the way we’re going to worship and the rest of you can all shut up” is what finally (though not immediately) put an end to the religious turmoil. And if the UK had colonized Ireland for secular reasons would it have been any less brutal? Would the Irish have fought back any less?

dsr_ 7y ago

Established churches lead to oppression of minority viewpoints. What do you want to do, fight over it?

jaldhar 7y ago
I think you left out “can” before lead. I was born and brought up in England where Elizabeth II is, as the coins say, “By Gods Grace Defender of the ((Protestant) Christian) Faith” and I don’t recall anyone including myself being particularly oppressed by the state church. Even the plentiful Atheists where I lived didn’t feel the need to acknowledge it let alone fight.
- dsr_ 7y ago
  In 1533 Henry VIII decided he wanted to be head of his own church. The first war about that started the next year. Protestants and Catholics fought for the next five hundred years, including the English Civil War and the Irish Rebellion. Around 30% of Ireland's population died or emigrated, which is why there are so many Irish-descended people in North America, Australia, and elsewhere. There has only been peace between the UK and Ireland since 1998, the Good Friday Agreement. The religious war is directly responsible for a major issue in Brexit. Either you lived through this or your parents did.
  - jaldhar 7y ago
    My parents arrived in the U.K. in the 1960s so no. Nevertheless I get your point though I must quibble with your specific historical examples. One can argue that it was the King deciding once and for all “This is the way we’re going to worship and the rest of you can all shut up” is what finally (though not immediately) put an end to the religious turmoil. And if the UK had colonized Ireland for secular reasons would it have been any less brutal? Would the Irish have fought back any less?