Conservakid, Dante is right. The Bible is not everyone's holy book. Sure, a lot of people consider it so, but don't forget, the numbers are dropping.
I'm a "catholic" but the Bible means nothing to me. I think it was written by a bunch of wrinkly, bigoted, losers thousands of years ago who had delusions from heat-stroke, so they wrote the Old Testament parts of the Bible. That's not the issue though.
Not enough people still believe in the Bible to consider them "most people." (I've seen the number 33% as the amount of Christians, but that's not more than 50%, so therefore, it is not the majority. Besides, that's counting the not-really-Catholics like me in there, who really couldn't care less if you burned it.)
Those sources you included just give say that the majority of citizens in France and America are Christian. Since I'm looking at this as a global thing (since it IS in the "Global Community" section), you're omitting all those Muslim countries and others that make the Christian percentage lower. Yes, Christians prevail in America and France, but that's still not the "majority."
quote:To "most people" the Bible is not their holy book
WRONG!!! In the US and other english-speaking countries, where you and I and most others on this board are from, the bible is most people's holy book. Don't give me crap that you meant the rest of the world...most other countries apart from western countries, would punish you for burning the flag or speaking out against your government.
Well, I think it's ok to burn the flag. Sure, the flag symbolizes the ideals of America, but it can also symbolize other things like America as a country, America's people, or America's government (symbols can be interpreted in many ways). I doubt many people would burn the flag over America's IDEALS (aka, freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc); most people burn it to protest what the government is doing (or not doing), to represent their hate for America (in and out of this country) or for the American people.
So, yeah. Burn away. Just be happy it's a peaceful protest and they don't just go and burn the problem (aka, you dislike the President, set him on fire). ^__^
quote: But it isn't. Just like the bible to most people isn't just "a book". and the constitution to most people isn't just "a piece of paper". It's symbolism and historical value are far greater than a piece of cloth.
1. To "most people" the Bible is not their holy book
2. As to morality, usually the protest is to bring attention to a far more morally wrong act than burning a flag. The desecration of the symbol, the idea, is what is being protested it's just being done by those not in power at the time.
the question here isn't about legality...it's about morality. Is it morally right to burn a flag? if it's just a piece of cloth, yes.
But it isn't. Just like the bible to most people isn't just "a book". and the constitution to most people isn't just "a piece of paper". It's symbolism and historical value are far greater than a piece of cloth.
Actually, since the constitution doesn't stand for what it did when the delegates wrote it ..... (they call it a living constitution meaning it can be intepreted in any way that suits the leaders)....the flag may also begin to mean s'thing entirely different....
People often take the flag and personify it, telling us that soldiers have died for the flag and they treat it as a living entity. My grandfather, a WWII vet, told me that he never fought for a piece of cloth. The flag is a symbol of our country and the freedoms we are afforded by the Constitution, but it is just that: a symbol. It is hypocritical in a sense to grant people the right to free speech but then they are not allowed to display their anger using this symbol. Giving it sacrosanctity and protecting it from being burned as an act of protest is asinine because we're putting it above the Constitution's protections of free speech and expression.
I look at it this way: If you're burning the flag in a hateful manner, than you are in direct conflict with the freedoms that are giving you the right to do so. It's completely hypocritical, of course.
And even though we may think it's immoral, it's no stretch to say that many US laws are viewed tons of people as being immoral, and could be nation-wide accepted as immoral down the road.
I use slavery as an example. Slavery originally had no defenders because it had no critics. It was only through time that this institution was discovered as being immoral.
However, just because it's immoral doesn't mean it's not your right. I am a firm believer in civil liberties and their protections.
Because someone is burning a flag doesn't mean they have the last laugh. I knew a boy who thought it would be funny to burn the American Flag in his backyard with some of his friends. His dad was running for mayor (in my hometown of about 2,000 people) and someone happened to have a camera and was taking pictures. Of course the pictures hit the press, and he lost the election. That kid probably got the beating of his life!
Is not what we stand for. It's a symbol of what we stand for. Please don't confuse the two. Most of the time I'm against flaburning, but if any law is passed against it, flag burning is the only way to protect what we stand for. That's a key illustration of the difference. btw, where in TN do you live?
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