Modem Butterfly
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:04 PM
Original message |
What role, if any, should religion play in public American life? |
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I want to know what you think.
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justinsb
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:05 PM
Response to Original message |
1. Some role is unavoidable |
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religion, or some other philophy of life, should determine your morals and those morals should influence your opinions and thus how you vote, but no religion should dictate public policy.
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mr blur
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:34 PM
Response to Reply #1 |
24. Why should this be enyone else's business? |
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Why should your philosophy of life be declared in public? How is it anyone else's business? The law is there to modify people's behaviour to make it acceptable to society as a whole. I don't go around robbing people or beating them up but the reasons I act this way aren't anyone else's concern.
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justinsb
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:42 PM
Response to Reply #24 |
25. No I'm just saying that |
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whether people make pronouncements or not, what they believe is bound to have an influence on how they vote and thus on politics in general.
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realFedUp
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:10 PM
Response to Original message |
2. No religion should be used in public and government |
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I'm a Christian, but I really don't think that my beliefs, although widespread, should be in the public arena at all...including prayers at government and public gatherings.
A time for silence to mourn or reflect on what a speaker has said is appropriate, but not in the context of a higher power.
I have the freedom to worship and pray any time of the day or night, meeting or not, football game or not, silently to myself. I can go to my church anytime or gather with others of faith.
I believe it's been very distructive to bring religion into the public arena and impose a widespread belief system on others...would you want to recite Muslim prayers if you didn't believe or understand them. Islam is a huge religion yet Christianity seems to get the bigger billing.
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HockeyMom
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:46 PM
Response to Reply #2 |
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I work in the public school system. On the anniversary of 9/11 the principal came on over the PA asking for a "moment of silence to REMEMBER those who lost their lives." He didn't say PRAY for them, just REMEMBER them. Anybody who wanted to pray to themselves could, or one could simply think about the lives lost, etc. That is APPROPRIATE. Calling for PRAYERS isn't.
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No Mandate Here.
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:15 PM
Response to Original message |
3. A lot of the values that we, as a nation, say we have |
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are derived from religion. Fairness, compassion, selflessness, charity, and many others, to be sure. I lead my daily life with these tenets, and have a hard time seeing others, who are more visibly "religious" than I am, ignore some of them.
For example, I play golf with a bunch of guys, several of which are adamant about going to church and espousing other ofthese values. I refuse to go with them when they go to Hooters and the strip clubs on golf trips, because I don't agree with the degradation and exploitation of the women who work there. Yes, some may want to do it, but I have a feeling that they provide the best, and perhaps, only chance these women have for a decent standard of living. This may be their only way to provide fo a family.
I will bookmark this thread to see if it goes anywhere.
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Cleita
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:33 PM
Response to Reply #3 |
9. A lot of what passes for religious values were co-opted by |
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Edited on Thu Jan-27-05 12:39 PM by Cleita
religious leaders. Mores develop because of the needs of a particular group of people and then become religious values, not the other way around. Our ten commandments developed from the needs of nomadic tribes of people for order in their society and are often inadequate in our modern lives. For instance only three of the commandments, those against lying, stealing and murder are still useful in our society for maintaining order.
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txaslftist
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:20 PM
Response to Original message |
4. A distinctly private and personal one. |
leftofthedial
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:21 PM
Response to Original message |
5. arcane anthropological conversation topic |
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and theme explored in the history of wars and political repression
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tubbacheez
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:22 PM
Response to Original message |
6. Depends on which American's life we're talking about. n/t |
Cleita
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:27 PM
Response to Original message |
7. None. It should be practiced in churches and privately. |
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Although, I grudgingly concede their tax free status, I think we should hold a big stick over them to keep them out of government and secular life.
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madrchsod
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:30 PM
Response to Original message |
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when i was growing up, religion was something private. it was never shoved down the throats of america as it is now. now it is being used to cover just how badly we are being ruled and just how badly we live.
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Bouncy Ball
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:05 PM
Response to Reply #8 |
18. I remember those days. |
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And I miss them. My parents and grandparents believed it was something that should be private, too.
And I was raised that way.
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forgethell
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:36 PM
Response to Original message |
10. I think that your religion |
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is part of your world view. I don't see how it can avoid coloring your policy positions. Nor should it.
What can't be done is imposing your prayers, ceremonies, etc. on others. Or even your moral positions, unless you can also make a secular argument. For instance, alcohol. I don't agree with laws that would prohibit drinking, but I think that due to safety considerations there should be a certain amount of regulation to prevent drunks from bothering other people and operating motor vehicles.
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donsu
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:45 PM
Response to Original message |
infusionman
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:49 PM
Response to Original message |
13. I think religion plays a big role... |
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It is enmeshed within the framework of our constitution, everywhere you go, you can see it in churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples. (We have a Hindu Temple close to where I live.) Most people today have been brought up with being exposed to some religion or other so yes, It does play a part in public life.
The key point however is our ability to have mutual respect for one another's belief systems.
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Wisc Badger
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Thu Jan-27-05 12:56 PM
Response to Original message |
14. I do not think Religion should be over done in public. |
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I have gotten a lot of solace and peace with my walk with God, but I am not allowed to force my views on others, each must decide for himself how or if he wants to have a spiritual life.
You can only come to Christ if you choose to, to be made to by duress is to defeat the whole purpose of choosing him (if that be your choice).
To the extent that government acts as a force of duress on a populace who would like to live in peace and choose their own spiritual well being than that government policy is wrong and merits resistance.
To the extent that secular society or government refuses to respect an individuals free choice of religion that to should merit resistance.
I know that if I had to be force fed Islam (I will use Islam since justified or not I hold that religion in very, very low regard) I would not be a happy camper and to the extent I was capable would resist such indoctrination.
Not so hard to understand others who do not want a version of Christianity forced on them. Each person gets to choose how or if they want a spiritual life without external pressure either from society or government. That is as it should be.
To force a choice is to me to question weather a free will choice is made. God requires a free will choice it is best that way.
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UdoKier
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:00 PM
Response to Original message |
15. None. Spirituality is a private matter for inside the church and home. |
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It has no business in government.
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Tierra_y_Libertad
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:03 PM
Response to Original message |
16. "Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich." Napoleon |
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As an agnostic, who respects religious (spiritual) beliefs very much, i.e. Gandhi, Tolstoy, MLK, I think they have a role in society..not government.
As a socialist, what is a simpler way of describing the tenets of socialism than with the biblical question: "Am I my brother's keeper?". For me as a Socialist, the answer is yes.
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Bouncy Ball
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:04 PM
Response to Original message |
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obviously there is freedom of religion, so people are free to build churches and go there to worship, etc.
Beyond that, not much, imo.
We should also have freedom FROM religion. And I say that as a Christian.
True freedom would mean that religion wasn't involved in our government and it very much is.
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bemildred
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:10 PM
Response to Original message |
19. Religion (or the lack of it) is a private matter. nt |
BuyingThyme
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:32 PM
Response to Reply #19 |
bemildred
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #22 |
26. Yeah, speaking only for myself, of course. Sigh. nt |
BuyingThyme
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:26 PM
Response to Original message |
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It should teach us about what happens if we surrender our capacities for intelligence to people who'd prefer that we'd never had intelligence in the first place.
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SmokingJacket
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:27 PM
Response to Original message |
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Apart from our guarantee that everyone can practice it freely.
Why should it?
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Bridget Burke
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Thu Jan-27-05 01:32 PM
Response to Original message |
23. How do you define "public" American life? |
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People should be free to express their religious or non-religious beliefs unless they're breaking any laws.
The government must be neutral.
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