do you think it is an insult to god if  you put an american flag on a church?
466492
yes.  Your supposed to seperate church and state.
67783
I'm as patriotic as the next guy, moreso if the next guy hasn't done 18 years in the military.  I am also an atheist, and I therefore am not all that happy with the pledge as it now stands.  \n\nThe pledge lacked the words "under God" until 1954.  During the height of the Red Scare, Congress stuck those two words into the thing to differentiate us from those "godless commies".  (It seems to me that taking the pledge out of the elementary schools would have done a better job.  The idea that little children should have to stand up and recite a loyalty oath every day seems, well, communist. It evokes images of Chinese children saluting pictures of Chairman Mao.)  Slapping "under God" in there basically made the Pledge of Allegiance a pain in the rear in that I have to pray to/acknowledge a deity in order to recite the thing.  When it comes up (which is rarely as an adult) I just leave those two words out.\n\nWhat's funny is that the pledge existed for 62 years just fine before some religious folks conflated patriotism and belief in Judeo-Christian mythology.  Now if anyone tries to restore the pledge to its original form, they are accused of interfering with tradition.
221479
People do have a right to burn a lot of things, including a flag!  But if you are burning the American flag, then you might as well set yourself on fire!  That's because the American flag stands as a symbol for the freedom of expression, and the freedom to burn flags!  And if you are burning the symbol of expression, the very symbol which allows you to burn the flag itself, then in effect you are rejecting you freedom of expression which the American flag stands for!  If you are burning the flag, you are basically saying that you do not want to have freedom to express yourself constructively, and in a positive manner!  In a sense you are rejecting the very freedom which enables you to burn the flag!  It does seem kind of odd for most people that anybody would want to burn the flag of their own country, especially a country which is very tolerant of these types of irrational expressions!  All I am trying to say is - don't bite the hand that fed you!  If you do not like this country, then leave!  Go to Canada, or Mexico, or Iran, (while there, try burning that country's flag for everybody to see, I would pay money to see that)!  But no, you see just the opposite happening, more people want to come to this country, because this country more than any other allows for Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness, and amongst many other things, the right to express yourself, and speak your mind!  No, I am not saying that this country is perfect, but compared to the rest of the world, it just might be!
140908
No.  Doing or saying anything that is insulting to another person's religion is a line that should not be crossed. I think the words "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" are very appropriate here.
932810
It's meant to insult what the flag stands for. It is an act of defiance. It too is symbolic but it changes no policy.
909289
Well said.\n\nI'm not a religious person but damn it, our country is traditionally christian.\n\nI respect your tolerance.\n\nSo should others.\n\nGod bless.
135435
There have been hundreds, thousands of caricatures about god, jesus and the pope.  Do you see christians jumping around waving banners about killing people and going to war over it?  Do we go around burning the flag of the nation this drawing originally was printed in?\n\nYou want disgusting, look at the way these people reacted over a DRAWING for goodness sakes.  Not saying it was right to print the drawing but come on get abit of bloody perspective.  Human freedom of belief?  What about the artists human rights?  I would say that the reaction to the cartoon did more to damage my views of the islamic community then the picture would ever of done.
206792
I am from the South, and I have ancestors who fought under that flag (some lost their lives and everything they had).  They fought for what they believed in, wrong as they were.  I feel that the subject is very complex.  I personally feel that it represents history, stagnation, prejudice, pride, shame, lots of things (good and bad, depending on who you are and where you come from).  It doesn't represent just prejudice or just pride.  For me, it's prejudice, shame and history.  I think it belongs in a museum, not displayed on a public building, for historical purposes.  Since it does bring about bad feelings for a lot of people, it has become a symbol of hate, but should be allowed to be displayed by private citizens on private property because we live in a free society.  And all that it represents should not be forgotten, lest it's history be repeated.  A good number of people who take pride in that flag seem to forget that the South lost the war, and that the loss was a good thing.  On the other hand, a good number of people who condemn it don't understand the significance of history and its preservation, or the other issues that were involved in the war.  It's definitely a gray answer, not black and white.
725310
I would say it is a moral affair now, but certainly not a religious one.\n\nActually, Church and State are more separated now than almost any time in our nation's history.\n\nExample #1 -several schools across the country have banned the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, so atheist children "would not be offended by it."\n\nIf that's not separation of Church and State, I don't know what is.
895557
I live in Kentucky so I'm used to seeing the rebel flag. They argue that it's their heritage. I still think it's completely disrespectful to African Americans and the progress that we've all made as a society. The flag is just to reminiscent of a not so distant past that was filled with nightmares. \n\nI did a research report about the flag my senior year of high school. I found that most people who proudly display that flag don't even know everything that it represents. And I hate those shirts that say If this shirt offends you then you need a history lesson. I just want to scream, I've had my history lesson redneck. You're the one who needs to get an education. The civil war is over, the rebels lost, and we have a new national flag. OMG!! Yes, that much has really changed. \n\nOh I just wanted to add b/c I read something above me about it not representing racism. After losing the war six Confederate veterans started the Ku Klux Klan.The Klan grew quickly with the addition of more former rebel soldiers. They reeked violence such as rape, murder, beatings, lynching, and burnings on African Americans. \n\nWhen you display the American flag on your shirt it’s because you support America and it’s cause. By displaying the rebel flag you are in turn saying you support the rebels and their cause. You may argue that it’s your heritage, but that can be debated. If an Indian wore a shirt displaying a swastika and then explained to you that before it was a symbol of hate it was an Indian symbol for good luck (which is true). Would you be any less outraged? Would this appear any less disrespectful to the Jews and the American soldiers who fought in WWII? After all it is his heritage, right? \n\nThe flag stood for so much wrong in the past that you can't wipe away all of that hate. There's nothing you can do to make that flag okay. It's racist and it's disrespectful.
146876
Frankly, I'm not. I still don't quite understand why\neffigies of our leaders and the American and various\nEuropean flags can be burned without consequence,\nanti-Semitic and -Christian cartoons can be drawn in\nMuslim newspapers, and jihad can be declared on\nChristianity but as soon as a Danish newspaper\nexercises their freedom from censorship all hell\nbrakes loose. Guess what! That was done in THEIR OWN\ncountry--a European country that (I'm going out on a\nlimb on this one) is predominantly Christian. There\nare no rules about it--that I am aware of. Countries\nthat are predominantly Muslim have their own\ntraditions and rules that all foreigners must follow\nrespectfully within their borders. Countries, such as\nthe United States have traditions too. Guess what! We\nmodify these traditions so that we don't step on the\ntoes of foreigners who would raise hell if we tried to\ndo the same within their land.\n\nMY responses to some comments that were made...\n\nTo: patrick_mont:\n\nWatch what I do???\n\nOr what, you're gonna bomb me? That's exactly the\nproblem. Whatever your stand is on the war, I think\nthat most can agree that the "tradition" that we were\nattempting to change in IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN was the\nremoval of people that brought pain and suffering to\ntheir own kind and not a change of Islamic faith or\ntradition. The pain continues because extremists\ncontinue to push on and apparently misunderstand our\npurpose for being there--much like you do.\n\nTo: msaelshamy:\n\nYes, I am a Christian and very honestly, no I would\nnot be upset by a cartoon depicting a Christian\nreligious figure. Maybe it's because I'm a bad person\nand only go to church on Christmas Eve, who knows.\nWhat I do know is that I have more important things to\nworry about than some cartoon or somebody calling me a\nstereotypical white male. Wait, isn't that\nstereotyping ME? Who cares. Freedom of speech does not\nallow one to incite violence or induce panic. It does\nallow one to express an opinion on just about\nanything, including religion. It doesn't happen in the\npress for fear of losing one's job or reprisals by the\noffended party. The cartoon is a sign of protest\nagainst Muslims using their religion as an excuse to\nmurder non-muslims (In response to the person who told\nme that burning the American flag was in response to\nAmerican Foreign policy). If fanatical Muslims did not\nwant violence associated with the Prophet, they have\ngone about doing it the wrong way by citing their\nreligion as the reason for their actions. I've seen\nthe videos. What person in their right mind yells "God\nis great!" while severing someone's head or detonating\na bomb?\n\nADDITION ON 2/6/06\n\nThe situation continues to get worse as Muslim\nprotests continue to grow increasingly violent. People\nhave died. Buildings have been set ablaze. This is\nover a cartoon. This is the work of not a just few\nreligious fanatics, but of scores of Muslims who\ndenounce the cartoon of the Prophet. A CARTOON! How\nabout rising up when an innocent Westerner (aid\nworker, member of the press, etc) is beheaded or your\nown people (Muslims) are blown up in a crowded market\nor at a wedding by a devout follower of Islam?\n\nADDITION ON 2/7/06\nWHAT EXCUSES ISLAMIC HATRED? BY TIM RUTTEN OF THE LA\nTIMES\n(Excerpts) 2/7/06\n\n"By last week, Danes faced not only violent protests\nin Islamic streets but also mounting demands from\ngovernments in the Middle East and elsewhere that the\ndo something to the newspaper."\n\n"All this would be slightly more edifying if it didn't\nreflect the destructive, dangerous double standard\nthat Western nations routinely observe when it comes\nto the government-controlled media in Islamic states.\nThere, the media are routinely rife with the vilest\nsort of hate directed at Jews and, less often,\nChristians."\n\n"If you want to see the cont
684275
Personally, I am not a Christian nor do I believe in the same creator, Lord as you do. I do however have the modesty and decency to respect your choice in Religion and the civility not to insult it. \n\nPeople who poke fun at the Christian faith, and generalize all Christians into one category, whether it be "stupid" "idiot" "imbecile" or as a recent post stated, "retarded" are only proving to be close-minded. People who insult the Christian faith are people who cannot see a situation from a different perspective, and understand the stance of another.\n\nWhere as one might not believe it to be true, they don't feel a need to respect it, proving only ignorance and barbarity. \n\nI don't believe in your Religion, but I do respect it, and the people who choose to believe in the Christian faith. I see you are very strong willed, and set on your Religion. Such a security is very admirable, and more people should have such an honest devout opinion about nonstereotyping, and freedom as you. \n\nI bid you a good night. \n<3 Ashlee
1156274
The flag is the symbol of our COUNTRY ... not the successive governments ... consequently, if you desecrate the flag, you desecrate the country ... any American who desecrates the flag, spits on his country and on the people who spent their lives defending it ... well, if that's what they want to do, then that's what they want to do, in the name of "freedom of speech" .. personally, I think if anyone feels they have a need to express contempt for their country, all I can say is ... America is not for you ... get out of it ...
418915
No it's completly fine to fly a different countries flag on american soil but it is an insult if the american flag isn't higher that the foreign flag.  Plus when the American flag is flown upside down it is to signify under attack and it is not to be done except in dire distress!  So that tells me that the immigrants are trying to invade america, so why don't we deal with them the same way we deal with anyother invaders!  Mass distruction!!!!!
322144
I have no denomination, so I figured who better to blab and opinion? LOL\n\nI think its great for religious ppl to wear the cross, its a symbol of Christ. (Although I do not beleive in God - I have respect for those who do).\n\nI do not like to see it on ppl who wear it for style purposes though.\n\nHUGS
993928
No what bothers me is the misconception people have about it and the stupid groups like the KKK who use it for evil. I don't hate anyone. My stepfather is a black man. I am white. Like the other folks have said it is a symbol of heritage. Civil War History is a big part of some peoples lives. Civil War Reenactments are a hobby of mine. I know black guys who sport the flag down south. In short I don't believe you should hate the flag you should hate the stupid people who misuse the flag. Like Jenn
468219
It's the kind of nonsense that makes for war and keeps people separate from each other. Not what i think Jesus was really going for in his lifetime here. I don't think this sort of thing helps anyone but the church.