Growing up in America, I have always been thankful for all the freedoms we have, especially our freedom of religion. I know in many other countries people are attacked daily for their various faiths and religious views. This concept of persecution has always seemed so distant… until now. Recently, I have felt personally attacked for my Christian faith here in Santa Barbara, among the very people who claim to be so accepting and tolerant. These days I am starting to wonder if people have forgotten our first amendment rights, which allow United States citizens the right to freely exercise their religion and grant us freedom of speech.
Last quarter, some residents of San Nicolas Residence Hall and I decided to read the Bible and discuss its content in the lounge on the building’s 8th floor. There was no one else in the lounge, and we were only talking quietly among ourselves when two resident assistants entered the room and literally told us that were “making other students feel uncomfortable because of what we were talking about.â€
This doesn’t sound right.Particularly with what you claim in the third paragraph. I have been involved with various demonstrations in Santa Barbara for a while and what you are claiming sounds incomplete at best and dishonest at worst. A security guard can only ask you to leave if you are standing on private property — and even then your first amendment rights don’t trump trespassing or loitering. The fact you say three security guards arrived leads me to think you were on the grounds of Paseo Nuevo — particularly given the number of guards and since you say they then… Read more »
No.The only problem I have with this article, besides it’s blatant articles and hypocritical evidence, is that the bible study group is not allowed to gather in the lounge because many of the participants did not reside in the building, when the lounge is first and foremost for those that live on that floor. Secondly, if you want to gather for any type of meeting, you have to officially reserve a room, and cannot merely claim any that you want simply because you "were there first." Also, this bible study group was not as respectful as you make it out… Read more »
freedom from religion
you should pray everywhere just to challenge the atheist-industrial complex
Time to take a Constitutional History class?
The United States was founded on Christian principles?
Maybe you should’ve read the First Amendment a little closer. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."
As the always eloquent Thomas Jefferson said,
"The Christian god is a three headed monster; cruel, vengeful, and capricious. One only needs to look at the caliber of people who say they serve him. They are always of two classes; fools and hypocrites."
Oh please.The religious are constantly invoking the First Amendment any time they become offended. They are severely misunderstanding the nature of amendments and the protection it allows them. The First amendment says that the government will not establish a state religion or prevent free exercise of religion. There is a time and place for everything, and religion is expected to be practiced in private. Religion and sex are both deeply personal things….we don’t allow people to have sex on the sidewalks, even if they are standing out of the way of pedestrian traffic. Laffey graciously informs us that “separation of… Read more »