tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674192606176078067.post524712858023684140..comments2023-05-02T11:34:45.330-04:00Comments on Thinking for Free: Ceremonial Prayer, ReduxKizhe the Couch Czarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04046357500651886319noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674192606176078067.post-72318175853525571592008-04-18T10:20:00.000-04:002008-04-18T10:20:00.000-04:00The Magna carta thing comes up now and then in Can...The Magna carta thing comes up now and then in Canada, and is entirely BS, by my lights. There's some ceremonial references to gods in it, like in a lot of political documents, but that gets you nowhere, really.<BR/><BR/>From an earlier comment on it I made quite some time ago in a letter to the Winnipeg Sun, when one of their writers made a similar claim (yes, I'm quoting myself)...<BR/><BR/>'It's a complex political treaty, born of a complex political conflict. It's probably largely chance it wound up as the first actual written codification of the evolving body of traditional rights of the king's subjects, and the limitations to his power over them. Those traditional rights are also well known to predate the charter, and, to my knowledge, also are nowhere in law explicitly linked to any justifying document. They seem to have evolved out of society, as does much law and custom, well after the Christian canon was codified, and, again, really get little support from those earlier documents. The Bible also has rather little to say about the right to petition for a writ of habeas corpus, nor the right to public trial, the last time I checked.'<BR/><BR/>(Longer comment <A HREF="http://www.well.com/~ajmilne/thoughtcrimes/magna_carta_as_the_foundation_of_law.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>, in case anyone's curious)AJMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01997146731281514599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-674192606176078067.post-75498366386215100932008-04-13T18:02:00.000-04:002008-04-13T18:02:00.000-04:00EK said "This [Christian whiners] is the crowd for...EK said <I>"This [Christian whiners] is the crowd for whom the definition of "persecution" is: "we're no longer allowed to push other people around"."</I><BR/><BR/>Brilliant! I'll have to remember that one. I don't remember ever seeing it phrased that way, and it deserves wider exposure than your little blog. Next time the issue comes up on Pharyngula or some such place, please repeat it - they'll love it, I'm sure.<BR/><BR/>I'm with you on this issue. Well said. I think Prof. Elmasry's oath needs some pruning and polishing, but I'd <I>love</I> to see it as an daily obligation for every MPP. Actually, make that for MP's too.<BR/><BR/>βPerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com