Please leave religion out of this! Haven't you noticed? Religion is the problem. The constitution wisely tried to keep it out of government. It has failed, and we are paying the consequences. Jesus had pet peeves? Oh for Christ's sake!
Please leave religion out of this! Haven't you noticed? Religion is the problem. The constitution wisely tried to keep it out of government. It has failed, and we are paying the consequences. Jesus had pet peeves? Oh for Christ's sake!
Yes, and we can all speculate as to what his pet peeves were. But there is no way to reliably establish that or anything else about him. So it is irrelevant. We have to make up our own minds what is relevant, and religion doesn't make the grade. Religion is a stumbling block, a counter-force, with respect to democratic self government.
I got it. I simply object to using "good Christianity" to oppose "bad Christianity". That should be avoided. What is clear is that White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil.
Excuse me James but nowhere was I pushing "good Christianity." As you noted, "White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil" and I have a problem having it cloaked as religion, and it needs to be called out....
You wrote: "Here we have Biden who has made gaffes for the last half century, a true Christian . . ." My point is that the good that a person exhibits is not dependent on religion, and conversely the bad that a person exhibits is often a consequence of a religious belief that is psychological in nature. My very first reply to you was "Please leave religion out of this!" I stand on that comment. We must remove religion from political discourse, not inject it. That is what history has taught us, or tried to teach us.
And it is clear that it does not really follow the spirit of Jesus Christ in its violence. My husband has studied the bible fairly thoroughly earlier in his life. He tells me it does not discuss abortion. So, putting women to death who have abortions is not really coming from the bible but what they are wrongly interpreting something in it to mean.
I don't agree. Christian Nationalism may be, but religion has existed with democratic self-government in the US since our founding. We just have to be careful to keep the two separate--and not try to impose our beliefs on others.
Separation -- my point exactly! Under no circumstances should religion, no matter what aspect seems 'good', be used as justification for politics. If something is arguably 'good', it does not need religion to make it so. Religion, on the other hand, focuses authority in a single source. Political authority resides solely with the people -- all the people -- not demi-gods or any other kind of god.
Yes, but. You seem to regard religion as not a good thing in general, where I--though not religious--regard it as a possible good thing for people who practice it in their private lives with respect for the views of others. Or am I reading you wrong?
I explicitly said 'good' can be found in religion. I do not disrespect a religious person's efforts to help others, for example. But I do not credit religion as the source of that sentiment. There is no denying that religion has been used throughout the entirety of human history to cause untold suffering, slavery, torture, and death, in addtion to 'good works' that attempt to reverse those errors. My argument is strictly in the political realm. Religion is in the psychological realm and should be understood in that light.
I think perhaps we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I respect your opinion about religion and agree that it has has caused much suffering over the years. but I think it has helped sufferers as well and also helped people to do the right thing when they follow positive beliefs. People can definitely do both the right thing without religion and the wrong thing with it. It can also be used to keep people who are suffering in that state and to lead people down a path that has nothing to do with the tenets of the religion! It's no wonder people don't discuss religion--you could talk forever!
Well said. Religion is rooted in ancient emotions. Democracy strives to be rooted in common sense in opposition to concentrated religious or political authority, which is at its worst when the two are combined. Needless to say, authoritarians don't like to be told that the only source of authority and sovereignty is the people and that the people will prevail. They are about to find out.
Please leave religion out of this! Haven't you noticed? Religion is the problem. The constitution wisely tried to keep it out of government. It has failed, and we are paying the consequences. Jesus had pet peeves? Oh for Christ's sake!
He was human--he must have had pet peeves!
Yes, and we can all speculate as to what his pet peeves were. But there is no way to reliably establish that or anything else about him. So it is irrelevant. We have to make up our own minds what is relevant, and religion doesn't make the grade. Religion is a stumbling block, a counter-force, with respect to democratic self government.
I think you are missing the point I was making--calling out the hypocrisy of religious zealots....
I got it. I simply object to using "good Christianity" to oppose "bad Christianity". That should be avoided. What is clear is that White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil.
Excuse me James but nowhere was I pushing "good Christianity." As you noted, "White Christian Nationalism, like any fascism, is thoroughly evil" and I have a problem having it cloaked as religion, and it needs to be called out....
You wrote: "Here we have Biden who has made gaffes for the last half century, a true Christian . . ." My point is that the good that a person exhibits is not dependent on religion, and conversely the bad that a person exhibits is often a consequence of a religious belief that is psychological in nature. My very first reply to you was "Please leave religion out of this!" I stand on that comment. We must remove religion from political discourse, not inject it. That is what history has taught us, or tried to teach us.
And it is clear that it does not really follow the spirit of Jesus Christ in its violence. My husband has studied the bible fairly thoroughly earlier in his life. He tells me it does not discuss abortion. So, putting women to death who have abortions is not really coming from the bible but what they are wrongly interpreting something in it to mean.
I don't agree. Christian Nationalism may be, but religion has existed with democratic self-government in the US since our founding. We just have to be careful to keep the two separate--and not try to impose our beliefs on others.
Separation -- my point exactly! Under no circumstances should religion, no matter what aspect seems 'good', be used as justification for politics. If something is arguably 'good', it does not need religion to make it so. Religion, on the other hand, focuses authority in a single source. Political authority resides solely with the people -- all the people -- not demi-gods or any other kind of god.
Yes, but. You seem to regard religion as not a good thing in general, where I--though not religious--regard it as a possible good thing for people who practice it in their private lives with respect for the views of others. Or am I reading you wrong?
I explicitly said 'good' can be found in religion. I do not disrespect a religious person's efforts to help others, for example. But I do not credit religion as the source of that sentiment. There is no denying that religion has been used throughout the entirety of human history to cause untold suffering, slavery, torture, and death, in addtion to 'good works' that attempt to reverse those errors. My argument is strictly in the political realm. Religion is in the psychological realm and should be understood in that light.
I think perhaps we have gotten off on the wrong foot. I respect your opinion about religion and agree that it has has caused much suffering over the years. but I think it has helped sufferers as well and also helped people to do the right thing when they follow positive beliefs. People can definitely do both the right thing without religion and the wrong thing with it. It can also be used to keep people who are suffering in that state and to lead people down a path that has nothing to do with the tenets of the religion! It's no wonder people don't discuss religion--you could talk forever!
Well said. Religion is rooted in ancient emotions. Democracy strives to be rooted in common sense in opposition to concentrated religious or political authority, which is at its worst when the two are combined. Needless to say, authoritarians don't like to be told that the only source of authority and sovereignty is the people and that the people will prevail. They are about to find out.
Well said on your part too!
Mentioning religion does not mean putting religion in the constitution, it only refers to behavior that is voluntary, not regimented.