Half Staff, the Pope and the First Ammendment

[nadinbrzezinski]

I fired this to my congress critter... mostly it is important they see we are not all asleep at the wheel... and for lurking freepers... why do you hate the Constitution so much?

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.



So I will ask a simple question, why are flags flying at half staff for a FOREIGN RELIGIOUS LEADER? I mean there is this no establishment of religion clause in the First Ammendment, and last time I checked the President took an oath to PROTECT and DEFEND that Constitution... he is not proteciing her, at all.



I am not trying to be insensitive to the passing of the Pope, but we WERE a secular nation, unless somebody finally calls the admininstration on this. They are on very thin ice Constitutionally, very thin ice. We don't fly our flags at half staff for foreign heads of state, let alone foreing religious leaders.

Sincerely,

[CubsFan1982]

1. We flew it at half staff for Churchill, George VI, Victoria

And de Gaulle, Paul VI and John XXIII. It's not something new, for Chrissakes, it's done all the time when a influential famous world leader dies. The idea that we're honoring Catholicism by lowering flags for the Pope (a head of state, albeit a small one) is about as ridiculous a notion as the idea that we're revering Anglicanism by lowering flags for wartime King George VI, the head of the Church of England.

[Obviousman]

2. bingo

[GarySeven]

3. Why don't you calm the hell down.

The pope is a head of state, not just a religious figure.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. I know that, you'd think the executive order would have

mentioned that tiny fact (and important one)

[theboss]

5. This hase been convered a dozen times

It's codified into law.
It's a tradition.
It has nothing to do with the separation of church and state.
When Queen Elizabeth dies, the same thing will happen.