So I'm wondering when are atheists...

...going to sue to have the names of the days of the week officially changed. Most of the days of week are named after ancient gods. Tuesday = Tyr's Day, Thursday = Thor's Day, Saturday = Saturn's Day, Wednesday = Woden (aka Odin)'s day - etc

Therefore these names are unconstitutional and are imposing religious mythology on atheists. Why should an atheist be subjected to have religion shoved down his throat every time he hears someone say "Wednesday" or "Friday".

This is clearly a violation of the 1st Amendment and needs to be corrected! Stop the vast right wing religious conspiracy to persecute atheists!

 

I like this because it does make sense.

Atheists would never bother fighting for such a cause, but you're argument is legit.

(Even if it was meant in sarcasm)

 

I'd say the difference is most people figured out the greek system was mythology. Christians are still figuring out that thiers is as well.

 

I want to know when they're going to sue to have the official year changed. 2013 is based on Christ. Shouldn't we be dating things "year X billion something" in order to comply with separation of church and state?

 

im surprised that Christians use these name as well. something about having more than one god....??

 

Don't be silly! We're not going to waste time suing. We want to just abolish days. Some of the months will have to go too, our years will have only seven or maybe eight months. If we find that April was named after Aphrodite, it will have to be abolished as well.

Then we will have do destroy the planets of the solar system. The stars can stay, they have a more secular naming system.

 

That is not prohibited.

 

So, I'm wondering when Christians are going to begin selling their daughters, outlaw shellfish, and sue Nike for making mixed cloth shirts.

 

The thing is, the calendar isn't owned by the government so church/state boundaries aren't violated by this.

 

by who??

 

Very good example why athiests who care about god on money or in the pledge of allegience, should FO/KY.

- from your fellow athiest

 

im no atheist

 

No, but there schedules being based on the calenders are.

 

You do realise the names of the days of the week were being used before your constitution was written?

 

The Bible does not prohibit polytheism.

 

But the use of that calender in our government was not.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou_shalt_have_no_other_gods_before_me

 

So what you are saying is that for the sake of secularism we should make an entirely new calendar.

 

I would not object to a timekeeping scheme that does away with days, weeks, and even months altogether. It's a fairly minor concern since adherents to old Norse mythology do not compose a culturally dominant majority group in society - or even a prominent minority group for that matter. The usage is not offensive to me because the words are not being used to tie American values to the tenets, teachings, and interpretations of the sacred, etc. put forth by a religion.

In contrast, when the U.S. government institutionalizes references to a Creator, higher power, or deity in its motto, oaths, national anthem, pledge of allegiance, military songs, and so forth it is an explicit reference to the theism dominant in society - if not a tacit reference more specifically of God as perceived by Christians. References to and ceremonies pertaining to God in government are not as a default offensive to me. What offends me is how alternative views are not treated equally by the state, and how our leaders and traditions insist on making faith in a higher power part of the national identity - part of what it implicitly means for one to be a real American and a true patriot.

It makes sense to me for us to separate religion from state institutions, for conveying the legitimacy of state toward a particular faith or supernatural view seems to imply one belief on matters of faith in the supernatural is superior to or more viable than another at best, or is a subtle move in the direction of establishment of a national religion at worst. If ya'll want prayers before Congress and the like then fine... but also bring in a Rabbi, Imam, and so forth to perform ceremonies as well and offer non-believers a ceremony in kind free of references to any higher power. Providing equal treatment to varied faiths in the form of acknowledging them all with equal weight would be a lot more complicated and inefficient than simply having the government not take on any positions about whether or not the tenets of any particular belief on the supernatural is true - which would also qualify as being a form of equal treatment.

My preference for the state being hands-off when it comes to religion rather than picking a particular view to endorse or trying to show respect to all major perspectives on faith at once is ironically more in keeping with the liberalist ideal of a small, limited government than what most self-described conservatives apparently have in mind.

I think the OP is quite clever and raises an interesting point, mind you, and if it's of any reassurance do not believe theists as a whole are working to marginalize, legitimize, or otherwise disrespect non-believers using the government. Those outcomes are probably unintended consequences of their cultural expressions and attempts to imbue the state with their values. In my humble opinion this issue exposes a flaw in the current system's separation of powers and checks and balances - not oppressive intent on the part of any mainstream, organized religion.

 

No, that the idea of removing god from money or the pledge of alligence, or the manger in the public square is just as stupid.

 

One would think.

I find it amazing that folks will openly admit their notions, their cults, their entire belief systems are identical to ancient Norse gods. Perhaps it is Loki making folks do it.

 

Ah. Well I agree.

 

America should change the days of the week to Spanish. Spanish will be the dominant language in America in a few decades.

And while you're at it, get rid of that old antiquated imperial measuring system and convert to metric.

 

Well, we'll be bilingual soon. And as far as the metric system goes, we just have a lot of things set to metric standards inadvertently.

For example, soft drinks are commonly sold in volumes of 16.9 fl. oz., which is equivalent to 500 mL. We may still view things in terms of imperial measures, but the chosen quantities round out to common metric units.

 

I am not really a religious person, but I do not have problems with the wording on our bills and coins right now. I just can't really think it is that big of a deal.