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In response to my last blog concerning Sarah Palin an interesting issue was joined. Friends of mine, who are people of great faith, felt a need to strongly argue that questioning Ms. Palin is somehow an attack on their faith. Others, less religiously inclined, felt an equal need to adamantly insist that religious extremists endanger fundamental liberty. Whew! What is the truth of it all.
My Mother used to say never discuss Religion or politics with friends, or they will be friends no longer. At that risk I will wade in. Initially, historically, Religion has been the the central unifying force creating Civilization. From the Earth Mother to L Ron Hubbard humanity has always seemed to need to believe in something greater that itself, and thereafter the deity ( or those acting in the name of the Deity ) imposed rules and rituals for people to live by. Now in some cases these were good, the Code of Hammurabi, The Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. In some cases, not so good, Mayan Human Sacrifices etc. However, the one constant is the central role of the Deity.
To leave the philosophical and reach the point in issue. My belief is that Faith and Faith related issues are private and belong in one's home and one's place of worship. The biggest problem for society today is the danger of well meaning folks imposing their standards and beliefs on others. A persons sexual identity is one such area. Whether you personally approve or disapprove of others lifestyles ( whether they are choices is a whole different issue and immaterial here ), is your business. Whether you and or your Church or Synagogue approve are matters for your Church or Synagogue. That said, they have no place in the body politic. There is no reason for the Government to try and legislate based on perceived immorality. It is easy to get people all riled up about someone or something different,m out of the ordinary, odd. That's what our friends on the religious right spend too much time doing. No, they are not as bad as Radical Jihaadists, but in their own way just a s dangerous. Stem Cell research has been seriously harmed by the anti-Abortion fanatics inability to do anything but think in absolutes. I am tired of appeasing and mollifying them when their actions irreparably impede the ability of those with spinal cord injuries to walk.
In response to my last blog concerning Sarah Palin an interesting issue was joined. Friends of mine, who are people of great faith, felt a need to strongly argue that questioning Ms. Palin is somehow an attack on their faith. Others, less religiously inclined, felt an equal need to adamantly insist that religious extremists endanger fundamental liberty. Whew! What is the truth of it all.
My Mother used to say never discuss Religion or politics with friends, or they will be friends no longer. At that risk I will wade in. Initially, historically, Religion has been the the central unifying force creating Civilization. From the Earth Mother to L Ron Hubbard humanity has always seemed to need to believe in something greater that itself, and thereafter the deity ( or those acting in the name of the Deity ) imposed rules and rituals for people to live by. Now in some cases these were good, the Code of Hammurabi, The Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. In some cases, not so good, Mayan Human Sacrifices etc. However, the one constant is the central role of the Deity.
To leave the philosophical and reach the point in issue. My belief is that Faith and Faith related issues are private and belong in one's home and one's place of worship. The biggest problem for society today is the danger of well meaning folks imposing their standards and beliefs on others. A persons sexual identity is one such area. Whether you personally approve or disapprove of others lifestyles ( whether they are choices is a whole different issue and immaterial here ), is your business. Whether you and or your Church or Synagogue approve are matters for your Church or Synagogue. That said, they have no place in the body politic. There is no reason for the Government to try and legislate based on perceived immorality. It is easy to get people all riled up about someone or something different,m out of the ordinary, odd. That's what our friends on the religious right spend too much time doing. No, they are not as bad as Radical Jihaadists, but in their own way just a s dangerous. Stem Cell research has been seriously harmed by the anti-Abortion fanatics inability to do anything but think in absolutes. I am tired of appeasing and mollifying them when their actions irreparably impede the ability of those with spinal cord injuries to walk.
Religion is a wonderful thing. But as the book says, "render on to Caesar that which is Caesars and to God, that which is Gods. We are a pluralistic society with no national religion by ( may I say it ) by intelligent design. Lets keep it that way.
1 comment:
please don't ramble so...religion, politics and money are sure to cause tension....but extreme religions views are always scary and the followers are scarier...fanantics always are,...this probably isn't in repsonse to what you said but i like to repsond.
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