In some countries, there is a ban on adults and children wearing religious clothing and symbols such as burqas, veils, head scarves, skullcaps, turbans and crucifixes in public places like schools, recreational facilities and so on. What's your stance?

Sunday 16th August, 02:00 PM JST

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Damien15 at 02:46 PM JST - 20th August

I think this also has to do bit with what country you live in. If it's US, surely all should be free to wear that they want to. But if it's a country like Turkey, which has been fighting protect secularism, it make sense to ban religious veils and headscarfs for women in schools and government buildings.
1524midlo at 03:38 PM JST - 20th August

OK to ban at schools, as part of enforcing a school uniform policy (not targeted at religious clothing)

Otherwise -- not OK and a bad idea, for lots of reasons
knews at 10:57 PM JST - 20th August

I'm with you tokyokawasaki. Look at the problems religions cause...including this one! How dare people decide their children are (or are going to be) Catholic, Muslim, Jewish or Christian before the children know what it means. Strict rules about what one can wear and what one can eat are also ridiculous if penalties can include physical abuse. Long live cool biz and I hope there'll be a version of this for religions too someday! I think people should do their best not to wear anything that tells others in a sort of strong way his or her religion (or nationality for that matter. Little flags on lapels also irritate me.....)
TheQuestion at 03:52 AM JST - 21st August

I think people should do their best not to wear anything that tells others in a sort of strong way his or her religion (or nationality for that matter. Little flags on lapels also irritate me.....)

So we should all live in shame of everything that makes us individuals? No, not for a second.
knews at 08:39 AM JST - 21st August

TheQuestion

One could argue that it is the idea of NOT wearing such things that makes us individuals, no?
Beelzebub at 10:00 AM JST - 21st August

...the Swiss association ProBasket said Thursday (Aug. 20) it follows the rules of world governing body FIBA, which state that the sport has to be neutral, forbidding any religious symbols and headcovers.

"If basketball is priority No. 1, international rules have to be respected," ProBasket said according to a report by Swiss daily Neue Luzerner Zeitung. "If religion is priority No. 1, then you cannot play basketball."
TheQuestion at 10:41 AM JST - 21st August

One could argue that it is the idea of NOT wearing such things that makes us individuals, no?

True enough, but if a person is to be permitted to be an individual internally why not allow them to express themselves externally? I don't personally wear any items of religious or national pride, however I am of the opinion that any person that would like to do so should have the option. Any person that is offended by a another merely being themselve (so long as the person is not of purely antagonistic intent) that person should take a while to think about why they feel offended before striking out.

In addition, anything can become a symbol or a substitute for one if the preferred is banned or otherwise rendered unusable. The only thing regulations like this create is resentment and anger. There are many a decent and law abiding people that could become anything but if their way of life is threatened (that could entail anything from clothing to eating habits).
tokyokawasaki at 01:03 PM JST - 21st August

1524 midlo said: children normally ascertain whether or not they are of the religious persuasion by the time they are finished developing in childhood.

I say BS to that... It's usually down to the parents. i.e whether or not the parents decide to brainwash their children. How many children would turn out delusional if they were left to grow up in an environment without any exposure to fairy-tales?
TheQuestion at 02:14 PM JST - 21st August

How many children would turn out delusional if they were left to grow up in an environment without any exposure to fairy-tales?

Depends on your take on delusional, I could say a man that believes that random carbon atoms suddenly decided to form bacteria delusional. But thats a matter of perspective. And anyway my parents were agnostic but in my twenties I entered the Catholic church and mass puts me at peace, I've never felt the need to project my ideals on anyone and I tend to ignore those that attempt to project on me. But like I said, its a matter of perspective.

And on a personal note I was never really into fairy-tales as a kid, I was raised on Aesop's Fables because they made you think and build moral character.
knews at 12:48 AM JST - 22nd August

The Question

Exactly that. Because it is what we do internally that makes us individuals. The external bits that you are talking about just make people show that they are part of a group.
ComradeRuskie at 04:22 AM JST - 22nd August

TokyoKawasaki, I do not really understand what you mean by brain washing.

Kids are not only influenced by their parents, in a multicultural country as soon as a child goes to a day care/school they begin to see different point of views than what they expirenced before. It might be Christianity at home, different beliefs in schools, and other influences in different places that the child goes to. In the end, when they are teens they will be able to see and compare and think for them selves.

I would not know for other religions but in Christianity, more than 60% of youth leave church when the graduate from high school, so much for brain washing.

As for the actual question, I do not support the ban. Let people wear what they want as long as they are not harming other people.
TheQuestion at 10:58 AM JST - 22nd August

Exactly that. Because it is what we do internally that makes us individuals. The external bits that you are talking about just make people show that they are part of a group.

Pfft, following that logic we should all just wear grey fatigues and black boots because we are all unique on the inside. No matter what you are probably going to be in some sort of group because lets face it, if no two people thought roughly the same way we wouldn't have a society so why not let people decide who they want to dress like on their own terms. Whether that may entail dressing like some of the androgenous punks that float around my neighborhood, maybe wearing a parents cross, or having those ring gauges inserted into your ears (if your into that sort of thing) it should always be a persons right to express themself so long as they don't infringe upon the rights of others.
UnagiDon at 09:12 PM JST - 22nd August

TheQuestion;

I could say a man that believes that random carbon atoms suddenly decided to form bacteria delusional.

I would agree that such a person is delusional, or at least ignorant of molecular biology. Perhaps you can provide more details on what sort of person believes that "random carbon atoms suddenly decided to form bacteria"?
TheQuestion at 07:27 AM JST - 23rd August

I would like to reiterate my point that people are very spiritual and habit forming creatures, to threaten both their spiritual individuality and their habits at the same time is a recipe for a riot in most heterogenious countries. If the metaphysical conscience of a person demands they were a gold neckless that looks like a t or a funny hat than let them wear hats!"
gogogo at 01:43 PM JST - 23rd August

Where is the "I don't live in that country so it doesn't concern me" option?