Subway incident

[Douglas Laycock]

  In the same vein, is the subway incident true? Certainly could be
true, but I don't recall seeing any news coverage, and the facts are
awfully neat for propaganda purposes, including the Muslim rescuer.
True? Real incident modified to make it better?  Entirely made up? 
Does anyone know?

  Quoting Susan Freiman <susan.freiman.law.65 at aya.yale.edu>:

> This just came to me from an atheists' list.  Is it true?
>
> Susan
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
>
> *PRESS RELEASE*
> *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* *The Council for Secular Humanism Chides 
> Congress for Disrespecting Religions
> *
> (December 14, 2007) -- Experts from the Council for Secular
Humanism
> noted with alarm the passage of H. Res. 847 in the House of 
> Representatives. This unnecessary, unwarranted, and bigoted law, 
> under the misleading title "Recognizing the Importance of Christm
as
> and the Christian Faith" passed the House with overwhelming 
> bipartisan support It effectively undermines the sort of religious 
> tolerance necessary in these changing times.
>
> Just days ago in the midst of the Jewish Festival of Lights, four 
> Jewish men in New York City  were attacked on the subway for
replying
> to a group of ten people who wished them a "Merry Christmas" with a

> similar greeting: "Happy Hanukkah.  For this, these men were first 
> insulted, then beaten. It was a Muslim man who came to their
physical
> defense.  The actions of the Congress, by passing the resolution
and
> thus expressing preference to the Christian faith over all the
others
> represented by the diverse population of these United States , 
> encourages this sort of behavior.
>
> The First Amendment's guarantee of religious liberty, and of the 
> nonestablishment of religion, was devised to create a secular state

> in which all religions would be equally tolerated and none given 
> preference. The language of the House resolution effectively 
> undermines the design of the Founders, and creates an atmosphere 
> where non-Christians will continue to be targeted, treated like 
> second-class citizens, and even become victims of violence like
those
> four Jewish subway riders in New York .
>
> Paul Kurtz , CSH chair, stated, "It is deplorable that in this day 
> and age and in light of violence against religious minorities here
in
> the United States that the Congress would stoke those flames with 
> preferential language in support of a single religion."  David 
> Koepsell , CSH's executive director, noted,  "Te First Amendment 
> Guarantee was designed to prevent the sort of religious intolerance

> that resulted in violence in Europe, and our Congress should
respect
> the intent of the Founders."
>
> We call on the Congress to reject this resolution, to stand up for 
> religious freedom, secularism, and pluralism, and to foster a
climate
> in which all believers and nonbelievers alike are treated equally.
> __._,_.___
>

Douglas Laycock
Yale Kamisar Collegiate Professor of Law
University of Michigan Law School
625 S. State St.
Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1215
  734-647-9713
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.ucla.edu/pipermail/religionlaw/attachments/20071216/8f613359/attachment.htm