A soft-spoken 14-year-old’s nose piercing has landed her a suspension from school and forced her into the middle of a fight over her constitutional right to exercise her religion. Ariana Iacono says she just wants to be a normal teenager at Clayton High School, about 15 miles southeast of Raleigh. She has been suspended since last week because her nose ring violates the Johnston County school system’s dress code.
“I think it’s kind of stupid for them to kick me out of school for a nose piercing,” she said. “It’s in the (constitution’s) First Amendment for me to have freedom of religion.”
Iacono and her mother, Nikki, belong to the Church of Body Modification, a small group unfamiliar to rural North Carolina, but one with a clergy, a statement of beliefs and a formal process for accepting new members.
If nothing else this has brought to our attention a new crackpot church. Huzzah!
# 17 Special Ed said, on September 16th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
“What a religious nose ring might look like:
http://tinyurl.com/n3ko8b”
How does he/she breath? (I couldn’t tell from photo.) That thing fills up both nostrils.
#23 awake said, “Yeah, this church is so different from churches that eat and drink the body of their god weekly,”
What religion does that? There might be a strange sects of Christianity (Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox) that believes that, but most Christians reject that view. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transubstantiation According to Wikipedia it is a ridicules viewpoint that is not supported by Scripture.
I’d be bothered, but I’ve just joined the Church of Who Gives a Crap.
#22–Father==nice quote. Eloquent. but let’s examine:
“Democracy destroys itself because it abuses its right to freedom and equality. /// Democracy as far as “it” is an it can do “nothing.” It is people that act and not a political theory.
Because it teaches its citizens to consider audacity as a right, lawlessness as a freedom, /// both of these hinge on not respecting/conforming to law. Lawbreaking is NOT freedom. I think you and Isocrates are donfusing as so many do “Freedom” with “Anarchy” leading directly to the philosophy of LIEberTARDianism which is so rife among the Repukes today.
abrasive speech as equality, /// Does that make any sense?
and anarchy as progress.” /// There you go–expressly stated.
No my friends, no “rights” are absolute. They must all be balanced off against other rights. No simplistic religious thinking when something as complex as society with its required participation and checks and balances are included.
In the main, what the Greeks lacked was a functioning court system. Our own system, the best the world has ever seen, is full of errors/faults/bias/presumption/expense/hostility/etc but that is the limitation of anything human made.
In short, FREEDOM: other people doing things you don’t like. Those of you thinking that this FREEDOM can be abused, you are wrong. The true abuses you find are not an expression of FREEDOM but rather the expression of lawlessness and Violation of Freedom done under the mere CLAIM of Freedom. Surely you can note the difference once you process your own bias?
Yea, Verily.
#11
Sorry, this “church” just doesn’t pass the BS test.
This religion? No religion passes the BS test.
#19
Based on what was posted I’m not actually sure this meets the standard for a religion.
No deity.
By “deity”, I’m assuming you mean supernatural being. There are officially recognized religions that have no supernatural deity. Scientology. Confucianism. Buddhism.
#35 “There are officially recognized religions that have no supernatural deity. Scientology. Confucianism. Buddhism.”
Is Xenu not the diety of Scientology? And the alien engrams? If they are not deities than they are at least supernatural beings.
Awake:
Will you please have the great juju under the lake bless me too? I really need it.
It’s a religion born in 1999, evidently, just to cause a ruckus and sue.
http://www.workforce.com/section/hr-management/article/costcos-appearance-crusade.html
Costco had a run in with them…
Where is the Official Religion Test conducted, and how many questions are on the form? Legally.
#36
I believe that technically Xenu is believed to be an alien and thus not supernatural. Granted, we are quibbling over comic book characters here, but IIRC Scientologists do not officially believe in a supernatural being as in one is that beyond the confines of the natural world ala Jews, Christians and Muslims.
# 35 Thomas said, “Scientology. Confucianism. Buddhism.”
Call me doubting Thomas but two of the three citations are philosophies not religions. The third is a bad science fiction novel gone awry.
#41–Animby==the man with two cans and no string: I’d say when words mean close to the same thing only a fool argues forcefully for one over the other? I think of Buddhism as a religion but won’t argue with anyone who says it is a philosophy? Course I will argue about why making a conclusion is wise? Very transcendental on my part, but I’m not religious?
Short review to short discussion on point:
http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/philosophy.htm
#42 Mr Evangelista – As you no doubt remember, I live in a predominantly Buddhist nation and have been seen, upon occasion, hanging out at a couple of temples where I know the monks. I have said before, most treat this philosophy as a religion with it’s tenets and obligations but walk around town and everywhere you loo you’ll find spirit houses all freshly maintained with recent offerings of food, incense and often booze. That’s animism at work. There’s a spirit in that tree that needs appeasing. Most restaurants have a little altar where they keep spirits happy. And every Buddhist temple is guarded by demons right out of the Hindu faith. Hindu iconography abounds as Buddha was raised as a Hindu.
Confucius, too, taught a philosophy that has become regarded as a religion.
Personally, I didn’t think my argument was forceful. I merely mentioned they were philosophies to contrast them with Mr Hubbard’s cultish sci-fi excursion who’s only philosophy seems to be personal enrichment of the elders.
As a reasonably intelligent person of some experience, I am relatively certain there is no true religion. They all abound in petty poopoo. Take a look at any successful religion and it manages to elevate someone to high status and relegate the remaining members to surfdom. Religion is not for god but for popes and bishops and assholes like that idiot in Florida (with a huge flock of 50 followers) who was told by god to burn some Qu’rans and then was told by god, wait a minute – I guess I didn’t think that through…
Mostly, I think religion is for the weak BUT I grant that if your religion makes you happy then, as long as it does not interfere with MY life, then you are welcome to it and congratulations for finding it.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going down to Wat Pra Singh amd take a couple of monks to dinner.
I apologize for saying, “…everywhere you loo…”
I did not mean to cast aspersions on anyone’s toilet habits. I meant “look,” of course.
Also, I said some unkind things about Scientology with no rebuttals and it made me wonder: Is it possible we have NO Scientologists on this blog?
#4
where is your church?
Animby–the man with two cans, no string, and his private allusions==uncharacteristic of you to be so wordy and so wrong. Ha, ha. I think “loo” was the correct wording since you pissed on everything I said. “your intelligence and experience”–lets review:
What can be a stronger rebuke than a flat contradiction without quibble or exception. After that strongest of all rebukes, all you can do is repeat yourself. We don’t have time for THAT!!!!
Surfdom?==Does remind me of some pics I saw of some Monks riding their boards all in their finest orange robes. Nice photo with all the contrasts.
True Religion–all religions are true. They all exist. Thats like saying Dinosaur Clubs don’t exist.
Animism and Protective Demons–doesn’t that argue for the religious elements of Buddhism? You should at least comment those are but cultural pre-existing tack on’s to the philosophy? Thats probably even true?==I’m going to assume the Monks in their formal Buddhist training don’t include Animism, Demon Protectors, Reincarnation? If they do, thats dogma not philosophy.
Speaking of this foreign thought process, I am reminded of the Dalai Lama. A kind man for sure, but rather incompetent when facing the “real world?” I lost faith in him after his interview on seeking independence from China. There is not much you can do with the boot of an oppressor on your neck, and I also agree that submission to conqueror if often better than a long term rebellion, but I still don’t like dressing it up in the “philosophy” of peace and acceptance.
Ain’t reality a bitch?===but thats the Hindus.
# 46 bobbo said, “You should at least comment those are but cultural pre-existing tack on’s to the philosophy?” I was sure I mentioned those were icons of the underlying and, indeed, pre-existing Hindu religion. Methinks you are arguing with me now just to be arguing. Did we wake up grouchy this morning?
As for me, it’s been a long day and I have another long road trip tomorrow. It’s 0100 hours here. I’m going to bed and dream up the perfect religion. It will involve, of course, elevating myself to supreme deity. Would you like to be considered for a post? In my religion there are likely to still be places for incubi! Not much chance for advancement but the perqs are fun.
I’ll be the court jester, whether appointed or not.
Sweat Dreams.
She should have a good spanking!
#41, 43
According to the Supreme Court and other courts around the world, Buddhism and Confucianism are treated as religions. Once you eliminate the supernatural, a reasonable argument could be made that all religions are philosophies. It’s all in one’s definition of “religion”. It’s also a good argument for eliminating tax benefits to religions but I digress…
# 33 Rob Leather,
I’d be bothered, but I’ve just joined the Church of Who Gives a Crap.
Do you attend St. Exlax too? I used to go to The Our Lady of Kaopectate but everyone there seemed so, well, constipated.