Where Does It Say In The Constitution That Religious Beliefs Are To Be Respected?

[stopbush]

Or any other beliefs, for that matter?

Last I looked, the First Amendment states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." How does that equate to having respect for the beliefs themselves?

We're also entitled to our own political beliefs, but nobody would say that a Democrat needs to "respect" the political beliefs of, say, a tea partier.

Respect their right to hold such beliefs, sure. Respect the beliefs themselves, not so much.

So why would anyone think that people need to respect religious beliefs?

BTW - I don't think this is a semantic discussion.

[YarnAddict]

1. It doesn't say that--

but, if you are respecting their rights to HOLD those beliefs, it's just splitting hairs.

[stopbush]

4. Is it splitting hairs? If I respect a RW pol's right to champion cutting food stamps

is that the same as agreeing that food stamps should be cut?

Don't think so.

[Yo_Mama]

8. Yup!!!!

You are perfectly free to point out the dastardly nature of someone else's beliefs, but the government can't pass a law saying that they can't have them, hold them, and exercise them.

[Wounded Bear]

2. I kind of like the clause in Article Six...

that has that "no religious test" statement in it. Not much ambiguity there.

[dilby]

3. No where in the Constitution does it say how one person should treat another.

The Constitution was written to say what government can and can not do. It has nothing to do with the citizens except allows citizens to notify the government when they have overstepped their bounds. If someone is in my home and starts spouting rhetoric I don't like I can tell them to shut their mouth and I am not prohibiting their 1st amendment, if they have a gun in my home I can tell them to go put it in their car and I am not prohibiting their 2nd amendment. I am not the government so I can do these things because their rights end where my rights begin.

[former9thward]

5. Why is this a question?

Nothing requires you to respect anything.

[stopbush]

12. It's a reaction to the many posts in DU religion threads where the poster

feels it necessary to say they "respect everyone's religious beliefs," as if that means anything outside of playing nice with people.

[world wide wally]

6. Whatever happened to us being a "nation of laws"? .... not corporate religions

[Yo_Mama]

7. It's not respect, it's the government not interfering with people's conduct of their lives

With people's consciences, ethics, etc.

And sorry, if the government passes a law that says "you have to do this", and your beliefs dictate that you cannot, they are interfering with your life.

The SC has ruled before that it doesn't have to be a "religious" belief. It just has to be a sincere ethical mandate that you carry out in the course of your life. So, for example, a conscience exemption for military service exists whether it is religiously or otherwise based. They can draft you, but if your beliefs are opposed to it they can't hand you a gun and demand that you kill people.

The First Amendment says that the government can't just decide that your beliefs are wrong and try to make you live your life by other people's standards. There are exceptions, obviously. If I started the "Church of No Traffic Tickets" and blew through stop signs regularly, the courts would not exempt me from the resulting tickets and loss of license.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. We must respect the other fellows religion, but only in the sense and to the extent....

We must respect the other fellows religion, but only in the sense and to the extent that we respect his theory that his wife is beautiful and his children smart. H.L. Mencken

[justhanginon]

10. Respect is what I used to have

for the Supreme Court. And then it was taken over by 5 RW ideologues.. Now it is the Fab 5 controlling by twisting and turning the laws and then ruling always 5/4 in favor of corporations and/or whatever the religious right wants. The rights of the majority of people in this country seem to no longer count. Very discouraging.

[Glassunion]

11. Semantics...

In the context and time of the constitution, you have to look at the definition of the word respect from that period.

In the First Amendment, the word "respect" does not mean to "admire" or "hold in high esteem", but instead it means "in regards to" or more accurately in "special regards to".

Next, the Bill of Rights is not a list of commandments for the citizenry. It is a "the government shall not" document.

So to answer your question. Is states no where in the Constitution that religious beliefs are to be respected (modern definition) at all.

[BainsBane]

13. You don't have to respect anyone

yourself included, but it is illegal for the state or a private company, with some exceptions, to discriminate based on religion. Period.

Without freedom of religion, there can be no freedom from religion. Without freedom from religion, there can be no freedom of religion. Accept it. It's one thing the founders got right.