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Books about Politics and Current Events in The Radical Academy Bookstore Click Here for New & Used College Textbooks at Discount Prices Click Here for College Education Information & Study Resources Shop Amazon Stores in the Radical Academy Bookstore Magazine Outlet Music Store Video Store DVD Store Computer Store Camera & Photo Store Computer/Video Games Software Store Outlet Store Cellular Phones Toys & Games Tools & Hardware Outdoor Living Consumer Electronics Kitchen & Housewares Baby Superstore Apparel & Accessories Gourmet Food Sporting Goods Jewelry & Watches Health & Personal Care		July 7, 2005   The 'Right' Not to be Offended by Steve Farrell   If you want to watch human reason descend to its lowest form, tune in and observe the finger wagging parade of 'experts' on the evening news, who with a straight face, and the utmost dignity, mouth such nonsense as atheists, agnostics and others have an unalienable right "not to be offended" by Christians and Jews.  An unalienable right: 'NOT TO BE OFFENDED!?'  Such a right was defended on 'The O'Reilly Factor' the other night; -- to which Bill O'Reilly astutely pointed out that 75 percent of Americans are equally offended by the ACLU and a Supreme Court which assumes that such monuments to the faith of our forefathers and the founding influences upon which this nation's laws were written cannot be displayed in public places.  'What about THEIR right not to be offended?' he asked.  The man countered that the purpose of the First Amendment was to protect minority rights. 'But what about the rights of the majority?' O'Reilly retorted.  Good point, but the bigger point Mr. O'Reilly was making is that such a 'right' that would impose such ridiculous limits on religious speech, sounds like a rerun of the kind of hostility toward religion that existed under Stalin and Hitler. Besides, someone will always be offended no matter how perfect the law, how pure the intentions of its framers, how smooth the delivery of its defenders. Even of the one perfect man, we read that endless volumes could be published if all the words that were ever spoken against him were put in print.  Truth is, they are still writing those books, some of them by card carrying members of the ACLU.  Bill O'Reilly, to his credit, moved passed the 'expert's' truly inane 'It's unconstitutional to offend anyone' claim, and reasoned -- as he often has -- that he "can't see where anyone's rights are being trampled on here."  Rights being trampled upon is an entirely different and legitimate issue; something which is a heck of a lot more substantial than being 'offended.'  As this column has discussed in the past, one's religious rights are not violated unless an individual, as a result of his faith, has one of the following occur:  He is tried on his right of property or life. He is deprived of his world's goods (either by fine, or tax to support a ministry or minister against his will). He is put in jeopardy of life or limb, or has actual physical punishment inflicted upon him. He is proscribed in the spiritual privileges of his faith. He is denied the voting franchise, the right to hold public office, or denied of any other individual rights as a result of his faith, and or He witnesses favoritism before the law in the form of greater public privileges or rights being bestowed upon members of another congregation.  As to the denial of the right to hold public office, isn't this what happened to Judge Moore in Alabama? And isn't this what occurs any time a Judge is filibustered for not worshipping man's law more than he worships the Higher Law -- you know, the very Higher Law the Founders taught was the foundation of the Unalienable Rights judges are sworn, before God, to uphold?   Farrell Archive   Radical Academy contributor Steve Farrell is associate professor of political economy at George Wythe College, a pundit with national news powerhouse NewsMax.com, and the author of Dark Rose, an inspirational novel reviewers are calling "a modern classic." For you West Coast night owls, every Monday you can catch Steve on Mark Edward's 'Wake up America!' talk radio show on 50,000-Watt KDWN, 720 AM, 10 p.m. to midnight; or on the Internet at AmericanVoiceRadio.com (preferred access at WakeUpAmericaFoundation.com). You can learn more about and/or order Dark Rose by Clicking Here. Because The Radical Academy publishes essays and articles on its website does not imply acceptance or approval of the comments or opinions expressed by the author of the material. Nor is the Academy responsible for any misrepresentation of the facts included. It is your job to be a critical reader. Enrich your life with a book about politics and current events... Enrich your political & social life with a politics or news magazine... Politics Resource Center Main Page
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