Years back the head of the IRS famously made the statement that the US federal tax system is voluntary. You volunteer to pay it in the manner they describe.
Now, I agree that if you refuse to pay it then there will be consequences for failure of payment. But that's not the same as someone beating you to force you sign the check.
It seems that people are doing their best to impose their definition of being forced to do something without bothering to see what it is I mean by my original statement.
Here's a simplistic view of it. If I do some sort of negative thing to you before you do/don't commit an act I don't/do want you to make, then I'm forcing you; "ex: I'll stop hurting you when you do this!" If I do some sort of negative thing to you after you do/don't commit an act I don't/do want you to make, then I'm punishing you; "ex: You did this and now I'll hurt you!" There's a difference between those two things, but I agree the line dividing them is very fine.
I hope I got those do/don't and don't/do parts right and it's understandable.
So, for the kid refusing to pray in school. Being sent to the principal's office after refusal is not forcing the student to do anything. So far the student hasn't prayed, therefore not forced. If the student views being sent to the office as punishment and decides to pray from then on to avoid going to the office again, you could have the view that the kid is being forced with threats of future punishments. I don't necessarily agree with that but I can understand the thinking.
The reason I don't agree with it is because if I rob a bank and get caught, I go to jail. I've been punished. I know that if I rob another bank I'll likely go to jail again, therefore with that logic I'm somehow being forced to not rob another bank if I choose to not do so. But, I can easily rob another bank to face possible punishment afterwards.
To force a student to pray in school can simply be paddling the student and then demand they pray so the paddling shall stop. In the story I responded to, the student was punished (possibly repeatedly) for not praying.
Years back the head of the IRS famously made the statement that the US federal tax system is voluntary. You volunteer to pay it in the manner they describe.
Now, I agree that if you refuse to pay it then there will be consequences for failure of payment. But that's not the same as someone beating you to force you sign the check.
It seems that people are doing their best to impose their definition of being forced to do something without bothering to see what it is I mean by my original statement.
Here's a simplistic view of it. If I do some sort of negative thing to you before you do/don't commit an act I don't/do want you to make, then I'm forcing you; "ex: I'll stop hurting you when you do this!" If I do some sort of negative thing to you after you do/don't commit an act I don't/do want you to make, then I'm punishing you; "ex: You did this and now I'll hurt you!" There's a difference between those two things, but I agree the line dividing them is very fine.
I hope I got those do/don't and don't/do parts right and it's understandable.
So, for the kid refusing to pray in school. Being sent to the principal's office after refusal is not forcing the student to do anything. So far the student hasn't prayed, therefore not forced. If the student views being sent to the office as punishment and decides to pray from then on to avoid going to the office again, you could have the view that the kid is being forced with threats of future punishments. I don't necessarily agree with that but I can understand the thinking.
The reason I don't agree with it is because if I rob a bank and get caught, I go to jail. I've been punished. I know that if I rob another bank I'll likely go to jail again, therefore with that logic I'm somehow being forced to not rob another bank if I choose to not do so. But, I can easily rob another bank to face possible punishment afterwards.
To force a student to pray in school can simply be paddling the student and then demand they pray so the paddling shall stop. In the story I responded to, the student was punished (possibly repeatedly) for not praying.