Remembrance Day and Religious Freedom

Usually a priest or padre will say a prayer during the ceremony. I'm not religious but out of respect I bow my head during prayers in situations like that. Unfortunately some people are really sensitive about that sort of shit and can't have the word "God" pass through their ear canal, or else their fragile little minds will shatter.

I agree, while I don't bow my head, I do stand respectfully. I figure anyone that sees me
not bowing isn't bowed either.

I've been a devoted attendee to Remembrance Day ceremonies for many years. We take the kids as well and explain the importance of being there. I go to pay respect to the vets. I go show support for the need to remember how horrifying these wars were and how important peaceful solutions are.

I don't go for a church service. If I wanted a sermon, I'd go to Church. I can understand a token prayer but we had five different church leaders say some form of prayer at this years ceremony. It was too much. I too stand respectfully during prayers.

I don't see what "God" has to do with honoring Vets past, present, deceased or alive. The World Wars were Hell on Earth **(All War really). What does "God" have to do with that?

Can we not show respect for ours Vets without having it turn into a Church service?

I don't see what "God" has to do with honoring Vets past, present, deceased or alive. The World Wars were Hell on Earth. What does "God" have to do with that?

Can we not show respect for ours Vets without having it turn into a Church service?

I think for the same reason man made religions to explain and cope with daily life and
horrors, some have the need for a divine entity to express their sorrows. Instead of just being
angry at the monsters who require these types of wars to happen and saying thanks to the
men and women who gave their lives, we need to deify them and the process.

I don't need religion to tell me how to be moral, and I don't need religion to help me cope
with such a wasteful and horrific period.

We've been killing each other since we first realized we could, we'll be killing each other
for epochs to come. All the Gandhi and kumbaya crap hasn't changed that. Maybe in a thousand
years we might evolve, and the love and peace at all cost thinking may help get us there, but
until then…?

So, we will always need people willing to serve and protect our freedoms, and to those
that will and of course to those that have (alive and dead)….thank you.

We are the Dead

Take this elsewhere, would ya?

As for religion in the ceremony:

As a firefighter, we're seated immediately behind our vets. During the prayers every one of them was teared up and clearly emotionally effected. I'm an atheist, but this is their day and ours to respect them. If they want prayer, let them have it without complaining.

Again, I'm not a big fan of prayer, and five prayers is a little much, but it doesn't hurt me to have to hear it. It's a few minutes out of my year, I'm ok with that.

What pisses me off is the military guys who are wearing their overcoats and gloves for a measely forty-five minutes of ceremony in a place like Comox. Suck it up princess, those old bastards sat through a lot worse in Korea and the Ardennes, and are up front usually in just their tunics. Yeah, it was a little cold yesterday (6-7C), and yeah it was raining, and yeah it was a little breezy, but if some 90 year old guy is willing to risk pneumonia and death so that he can stand there proudly with his medals, those wanker aircrew should be able to do the same.

Again, I'm not a big fan of prayer, and five prayers is a little much, but it doesn't hurt me to have to hear it. It's a few minutes out of my year, I'm ok with that.

What pisses me off is the military guys who are wearing their overcoats and gloves for a measely forty-five minutes of ceremony in a place like Comox. Suck it up princess, those old bastards sat through a lot worse in Korea and the Ardennes, and are up front usually in just their tunics. Yeah, it was a little cold yesterday (6-7C), and yeah it was raining, and yeah it was a little breezy, but if some 90 year old guy is willing to risk pneumonia and death so that he can stand there proudly with his medals, those wanker aircrew should be able to do the same.

A) Your ceremony is outside?

B) During the parade a few firefighters tried to put an overcoat on, our Sgt. came down hard on them. It was -20 here and we marched in tunics.

I've never done a ceremony inside in my 15+ years in, but from what I understand some places do.

It wasn't real cold here but my buddy the band leader said it was cold enough that the entire brass section froze up after one song but the woodwinds were not too bad … next year the plan is to borrow some patio heaters

I've never done a ceremony inside in my 15+ years in, but from what I understand some places do.

I guess over here in the Narth that's a thing… but like I said, it was -20 off the hop, that would have been tough for some of the vets for the full two hours. The town packs the hall, standing room only, every year - all businesses close, most businesses lay wreaths, all vets lay their own wreaths or poppies, and most family members of soldiers from most wars lay wreaths. We pack close to 1/4 of the town's population in.

Take this elsewhere, would ya?

Reflections of an Anti-War Veteran

URL=[http://www.commondreams.org/node/88449"][U]Reflections of an Anti-War Veteran[/U] [/URL][/QUOTE]

Not the thread for this.

Respect the fallen, leave the politicking for another place.

Not the thread for this.

Respect the fallen, leave the politicking for another place.

so civilians dont count[HTML_REMOVED]?

so civilians dont count[HTML_REMOVED]?

They do. The problem is Tungsten feels left out and needs his attention whore fix. So he posts up trolling as usual and gets all excited with the responses.

Tempest in a teapot. Article fails to point out how many students will actually opt out.

JWs/Seventh Day Adventists, for example, believe that any celebrations, anthems, rituals, etc. are to be eschewed as these elevate human events to the level of godhood. So the only thing they participate in is xmas, the birthday of baby jeebus.

All this fuss over the one or two students that will opt out. Big whoop.

Kn.

I grew up in a very Seventh Day Adventist home, went to only SDA schools until grad school, and am now employed as a teacher at an SDA school. (I am agnostic with secular humanist leanings). We celebrate all kinds of stuff.

Sorry for the threadjack, but adventists don't get mentioned often, wanted to say soemthing. PM me for insider accounts of any aspect of adventism you want.