Hard to believe that this is happening in Jebland.
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Article published Jan 10, 2005
Week is devoted to separation of church and state
Gainesville residents who want strict separation between religion and
government: your week is nearly here.
A proclamation will be read today at the Gainesville City Commission
meeting declaring Jan. 16-22 "Separation of Church and State Week" in
the city.
It is important that the city recognize the concept of a separation
between church and state, particularly after an election in which moral
values are thought to have played a large role, said Mark Mayfield,
Webmaster for the Humanist Society of Gainesville, which requested the
proclamation.
Following a proclamation of "Christian Heritage Week" in November, Mayor
Pegeen Hanrahan suggested that any group that could show it had made a
significant contribution to America could apply for a proclamation.
Jewish and Islamic groups were contacted about the offer, but declined a
proclamation, Hanrahan said
Along with comments on the U.S. Constitution, the proclamation points to
a letter written 203 years ago this month from Thomas Jefferson to the
Danbury Baptists, in which he calls for a "wall of separation between
Church and State."
Mayfield said he and other humanists are not anti-religious, but don't
want the government involved in religious decisions.
"It's definitely not an attempt to say people that believe are wrong or
uneducated or anything like that," Mayfield said. "Its our belief that
this country was founded to be neutral toward religion so that people
are free to believe in any religion or no religion."
"There is nothing to my knowledge that would involve (the foundation),"
DeLaney said. "I'm quite sure, with Clark Butler being the neighbor, the
university has been working with him and hoping that at some point in
the future they might get a large gift out of him. But other than that,
there has been nothing specific."
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http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050110/COLUMNS03/
201100311/-1/news
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John Hachmann aa #1782
Intelligent Design has as much to do with science as reality
television has to do with reality. - Barry Lynn on CNN 12/25/04
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