France Bans Public Prayer

[Martinus]

They are legal in Portugal, and most European countries do not prosecute drug users with half of the zeal that the US has.

Good for Portugal.  Why are you bringing up this drug stuff anyway?  You know I am in favor of legalizing drugs.

Just in general. I think many Americans have a tendency to lecture other countries about "freedoms" without realizing how illiberal many aspects of their own policies are.

[Valmy]

Just in general. I think many Americans have a tendency to lecture other countries about "freedoms" without realizing how illiberal many aspects of their own policies are.

No I am well aware.  And it is not getting better.

But still the cult laws are a pretty ridiculous flanking of freedom of religion.

[Solmyr]

People who are saying that religious practices are just fine in public spaces: if my religious practices included ritual sacrifice of goats, you would be just fine with me doing it on the sidewalk in Times Square as long as I didn't block any traffic?

Because that was, in fact, what happened in Moscow during the Eid celebration a while ago.

[Martinus]

Just in general. I think many Americans have a tendency to lecture other countries about "freedoms" without realizing how illiberal many aspects of their own policies are.

No I am well aware.  And it is not getting better.

But still the cult laws are a pretty ridiculous flanking of freedom of religion.

Well, in Europe, we do not consider freedom of religion as important as you guys do over the ocean. That's why you left in the first place, remember?

[Valmy]

Well, in Europe, we do not consider freedom of religion as important as you guys do over the ocean. That's why you left in the first place, remember?

Well you have it as part of your Euro charter of Rights or whatever and the French State in particular guarantees it

Also the persecuted religious minorities thing is pretty overblown.  Virtually none of my ancestors came over for that.  There sure are alot of other genealogists who need to believe that to the point they invent it when there is no evidence at all to suggest that was the reason.  It is more pleasing than to realize most of us came over for opportunity to own land.

[Martinus]

Well, in Europe, we do not consider freedom of religion as important as you guys do over the ocean. That's why you left in the first place, remember?

Well you have it as part of your Euro charter of Rights or whatever and the French State in particular guarantees it

These are more like guidelines.

[clandestino]

Er... Drugs aren't legal in Portugal. I don't know where people get this idea from.

[Razgovory]

Er... Drugs aren't legal in Portugal. I don't know where people get this idea from.

Well, Martim for one, and how the government there works for second...

[clandestino]

Well, Martim for one, and how the government there works for second...

Well, I'm not the one vouching for Martim's sanity that's for sure.

BTW, a sentence joining "government" and "works" in Portuguese is called bad syntax.

[Maximus]

People who are saying that religious practices are just fine in public spaces: if my religious practices included ritual sacrifice of goats, you would be just fine with me doing it on the sidewalk in Times Square as long as I didn't block any traffic?

Because that was, in fact, what happened in Moscow during the Eid celebration a while ago.

I think the point is that the question of whether one should be allowed to slaughter a goat on a sidewalk should be completely independent of whether it's a religious practice.

[Martinus]

People who are saying that religious practices are just fine in public spaces: if my religious practices included ritual sacrifice of goats, you would be just fine with me doing it on the sidewalk in Times Square as long as I didn't block any traffic?

Because that was, in fact, what happened in Moscow during the Eid celebration a while ago.

I think the point is that the question of whether one should be allowed to slaughter a goat on a sidewalk should be completely independent of whether it's a religious practice.

I agree. However, I seem to remember that many Languishites from the US argued exactly the opposite when it came to the Dutch banning halal/kosher slaughter - if my memory serves me right, these people argued in favour of a religious exception. I understand you disagree.

[Barrister]

Er... Drugs aren't legal in Portugal. I don't know where people get this idea from.

Really, you have no idea where people got the idea from?

Maybe, perhaps, people are merely confusing Portugal's drug decriminilization with legalization?

[clandestino]

Really, you have no idea where people got the idea from?

Maybe, perhaps, people are merely confusing Portugal's drug decriminilization with legalization?

And aren't those things different?

I mean, I won't be arrested for parking my car at the sidewalk either, but surely I'll get some fine if caught right?

[Ideologue]

Well, in Europe, we do not consider freedom of religion as important as you guys do over the ocean. That's why you left in the first place, remember?

No, we know.

[garbon]

People who are saying that religious practices are just fine in public spaces: if my religious practices included ritual sacrifice of goats, you would be just fine with me doing it on the sidewalk in Times Square as long as I didn't block any traffic?

Because that was, in fact, what happened in Moscow during the Eid celebration a while ago.

I think the point is that the question of whether one should be allowed to slaughter a goat on a sidewalk should be completely independent of whether it's a religious practice.

I agree. However, I seem to remember that many Languishites from the US argued exactly the opposite when it came to the Dutch banning halal/kosher slaughter - if my memory serves me right, these people argued in favour of a religious exception. I understand you disagree.

I like how you are pinning that point of view on just the American posters.