Keep the Church out of the State
It's Easter Sunday. A day my religion celebrates as the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A day I am free, but not obligated, to celebrate.
Religious freedom to worship without fear of governmental interference is the essence of the concept of Separation of Church and State. Over the past few years, it seems as if those walls have come tumbling down.
If we were going to pick a state sponsored religion, what would it be? I know Muslim is out. Jewish? I doubt it. Catholic? Probably not. Protestant? Most likely. If so, which denomination? Christian is too big an umbrella for many "true believers," so that would never do. It would be a wicked battle, as each group tried to show that God was on its side.
Would the state religion change as the majority changed? Evangelicals may think they rule, but they are in the minority population-wise. If it came to a vote, they would lose.
Would we have faith-based political parties? We have a hard enough time with political differences, all we'd need to do is introduce religion into the mix. We'd probably end up with a new Civil War -- the War against the Churches.
Sounds like the whole issue is much too complicated to deal with.
Even more so, it sounds un-American.
It's ludicrous that we are even arguing the issue. I seem to recall a day, not too long ago, when religious freedom was a founding principle. Now religious freedom is code for protecting the rights of the religious right. Now we have a marriage between the fundamentalist Right and Government. When the White House sponsor faith-based initiatives or the Department of Justice sponsors bible readings, things are seriously awry with our government.
And for the best discussion on the issue of all, see One True God, with Stephen Colbert & Steve Carell discussing the One True Religion.
America is (was) the land of religious freedom. That's the way it should stay. Protect religious freedom -- support separation of Church and State.
For more information on this issue, see First Freedom First.
(Via The Quaker Agitator and Indigent A-hole)
~ ~ ~ ~
"Those who would renegotiate the boundaries between church and state must therefore answer a difficult question: why would we trade a system that has served us so well for one that has served others so poorly?"
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner on the Ten Commandments ruling, June 27, 2005
Religious freedom to worship without fear of governmental interference is the essence of the concept of Separation of Church and State. Over the past few years, it seems as if those walls have come tumbling down.
If we were going to pick a state sponsored religion, what would it be? I know Muslim is out. Jewish? I doubt it. Catholic? Probably not. Protestant? Most likely. If so, which denomination? Christian is too big an umbrella for many "true believers," so that would never do. It would be a wicked battle, as each group tried to show that God was on its side.
Would the state religion change as the majority changed? Evangelicals may think they rule, but they are in the minority population-wise. If it came to a vote, they would lose.
Would we have faith-based political parties? We have a hard enough time with political differences, all we'd need to do is introduce religion into the mix. We'd probably end up with a new Civil War -- the War against the Churches.
Sounds like the whole issue is much too complicated to deal with.
Even more so, it sounds un-American.
It's ludicrous that we are even arguing the issue. I seem to recall a day, not too long ago, when religious freedom was a founding principle. Now religious freedom is code for protecting the rights of the religious right. Now we have a marriage between the fundamentalist Right and Government. When the White House sponsor faith-based initiatives or the Department of Justice sponsors bible readings, things are seriously awry with our government.
And for the best discussion on the issue of all, see One True God, with Stephen Colbert & Steve Carell discussing the One True Religion.
America is (was) the land of religious freedom. That's the way it should stay. Protect religious freedom -- support separation of Church and State.
For more information on this issue, see First Freedom First.
(Via The Quaker Agitator and Indigent A-hole)
~ ~ ~ ~
"Those who would renegotiate the boundaries between church and state must therefore answer a difficult question: why would we trade a system that has served us so well for one that has served others so poorly?"
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner on the Ten Commandments ruling, June 27, 2005
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1 comment:
I absolutely agree! Thanks for the post.
BAC
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