Important: Liberals are not anti-religion; we are anti-theocracy.

[barbaraann]

From dictionary.com:

Religion:
1. a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

Theocracy:
1. A government ruled by or subject to religious authority.
2. A state so governed.


Great resource for fighting theocracy:
http://www.theocracywatch.org/


"This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy."
U.S. Representative Christopher Shays, R-CT

[greyl]

1. speak for yourself :) nt

[FreedomAngel82]

2. Exactly!

That's the point we need to make and make it hard. The founding fathers had no intension of making our country a theocracy because of the first amendment.

[Mass]

3. They are for freedom of religion

which includes respecting those who have no religion.

[UrbScotty]

4. Another way to put it: We are pro-Religious Freedom

We believe not everyone should have to worship God, and those of us who do should do so however we want to.

[sakabatou]

9. Those that think otherwise will be ignored

or complained about.

Stupid old iMac keyboard. -_-

[mmonk]

5. sssssssssshhhhhhhh!

Didn't you get the memo? We're "attacking" religion when we stand up for the establishment clause. The founding fathers didn't really mean "a wall of separation", it's all been a Godless leftie plot to take away their religion and burn the bible. The founding fathers were Fundamentalists (even though there wasn't fundamentalism back then).:sarcasm:

[adaada]

6. This appears to be a distinction too subtle for the general population.

Even otherwise intelligent people apparently don't see the difference.

[tx_dem41]

12. No...sadly, this is a distinction too subtle for far too many people here

at DU, who THINK they are liberals.

[adaada]

19. Really? Here too? I would expect this to be a accepted sort of thing here.

Why do you think that is so?

[bluedawg12]

7. During viet nam and civil rights era, people of faith spoke up

against civil matters which they believed to be immoral.

Religious beliefs can be the strong basis for liberal ethical positions.

Think of the 8 beautitudes- they are down right liberal and radical.

[CBGLuthier]

8. some are

I call them antitheists.

Your common atheist or agnostic like me doesn't really obsess too much about what other people believe so long as it is not forced on us or endorsed by our government.

But the antitheists, which DU has its fair share of, love to ridicule others beliefs and would like to see ALL religion banned as it is just too damn silly for them. In fact, most antitheists spend more time disputing god than many religous people spend worshipping god.

I used to be a bit of an antitheist but I have changed.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

10. There appears to be a religion

gene or something in many, many humans and I think that separation of church/state is the most sensible way to allow everyone the freedom to believe or not believe.

The Soviets tried to eradicate religion but when they gave up it blossomed tenfold.

I have no data to back this claim up, but to my knowledge the civilizations (past/present) who allow freedom of religion are the most successful. (my criteria for successful would be prosperous, working judicial system, some level of political stability)

I sometimes hear people say "freedom from religion" and I don't think this is what the founding fathers had in mind.

Whether what they had in mind is of value is, I would guess, a personal decision.

[mzteris]

13. There appears to be a religion

gene or something in many, many humans ***

Some are tying it - especially the fundamentalist type (read: fanatic) - to OCD.....

Makes perfect sense.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

14. Heck yeah

at some level it is definitely pathological.

Wonder if Prozac helps?

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Agreed

[JVS]

15. Too broad a brush there.

[barbaraann]

16. I appreciate everyone's thoughts.

I think we need to have our intellectual "ammunition" in good working order for the fight against GOP theocracy. I just cannot believe what Blackwell is doing in Ohio, as posted on DU today.

[jane_pippin]

17. Thank you.

Your god, or lackthereof if that's the case, is your business and so is mine. It doesn't belong in government.

[DavidDvorkin]

18. Some of us are anti-religion

I certainly am.

[mzteris]

20. which - in the tradition of

Freedom of Religion - is a perfectly fine thing to be.

[barbaraann]

21. Some clarification:

What I meant by "anti-religion" was anti-religious the way political parties or governments are anti-religious, not the way individuals are. For example, Stalin persecuted religions and attempted to erase them from the USSR, whereas an individual might think that religion has a negative influence on humanity but would not actively or violently seek to destroy any and all religions.

[DemGirl7]

22. I have a very indifferent view of religion

I was raised in a mostly secular household, even through on holidays like Christmas and Easter,we would have both secular and religious objects around the house. I'm very indifferent towards religion, I really don't care about in, but I hate it when it's shoved down people's throats. And this is what is happening nowadays, since the religious right has it foot in the door of the government. I was reminded of this over the weekend when I watched this Documentary called "George W. Bush and The Rise Of The Religious Right in America" It was some pretty scary shit, talking about how the Religious Right from the time of the 1950's has entered into American Politics. I'm not anti-religion, I really don't care about it, I just don't what America to become a Theocracy, and the Fundies are hell bent in turning it in to one.