CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 443 |
Originally posted by Wien_Sean:
You are so spot on, I can't believe it. The biggest problem to me is that people are knee-jerk reactionist. The thing people forget that the Government cannot endorse religion and that is as far as the constitution goes. Sure people can practice as they please as long as Government institutions are not the ones backing it.
Yes, I agree, however, as an example, I do believe that the mere placement of historal religious monuments on gov't property is not in and of itself an endorsement of religion. For better or for worse, religious beliefs were indeed a critical part of the founding of this country. Yes they were varied in nature, but they were there behind the scenes. Washington wrote about this in many of his papers actually, that the Constitution was in fact in part based upon Christian principles in so far as freedom of religion is concerned. I'll try and dig up what I'm referring to here a bit later. The U.S. Supreme Court has a copy of the ten commandments openly displayed, along with the code of Hammurabi and other religious references. I believe this is perfectly fine, and not an endorsement of any one religion. I realize in some cases there may be only one religion's beliefs represented in the public square in any one state, and for that state, perhaps that fits their population makeup. Minorities in such states are free to create monuments of their own, and should not be denied the right to do so, just as the U.S. Supreme Court building demonstrates. To take away the only historical representation that is there, to me is the wrong decision. Put more there, more reminders of where we came from, of the cultures that combined together to make up this great nation. Let us not purge our history from the public square, but rather increase it, for if we remove all evidence of where we came from, we will have no basis upon which to decide where we are to go from here.
Please understand there is a marked difference between the importance of moral values and religion influencing who we are and what we believe, verses having such beliefs openly written into law. Once again, as I said previously, people seem to want safety more than anything else. Those in Christiandom are extremely nervous about certain behaviors becoming acceptable in modern day society, like gay marriage as an example. They are so passionate, as are the gay rights activists, that everyone is fighting to federalize this issue. Personally, I believe in the power of the individual states to decide on their own what is lawful. To federalize everything by definition, as we did with abortion rights, means it becomes an all or nothing process, and that is dangerous IMHO. When the U.S. Supreme Court looks at taking on the many cases brought before it, what does it look for? The court looks at precedent and agreement across the various appellate and state supreme/district federal courts. If in looking at any one case it appears that there is widespread confusion and/or different precedents at the state/district court levels, this often motivates the Supreme Court to consider taking action, but we must be careful, is that what we really want as a nation, to federalize the issue into law, for it to become only one way or the other? Beforehand, if you agreed with abortion, you could freely live in a state that held such agreements in law, or if you disagreed, the same. I am very liberterian in this sense, in that I do not believe I have the right to force my beliefs, however deepseated they are, onto others that do not hold those beliefs. I am happy to debate freely and passionately on such beliefs with anyone, but to actually want to feel so safe for my own best interests by forcing into law such a belief system, that I do not agree with. I say repeal Roe v Wade and let the states decide. Then everyone wins, and I can choose to go live in a state that shares my values accordingly. Federalization of issues helps to create the polarizing effects we're seeing in the political landscape today. Once again, we must be careful and remember, united we stand, divided we fall. I am an American, and I'd be happy to stand toe to toe with any other American and debate issues until I'm exhausted that I feel passionately about, and in the end, I will remember the great gift we've been given that indeed we are free to have such debates without fear of retribution. Thank God for that! I will also always strive to remember that, in the end, we are both Americans, united together by that common bond of patriotism. Differing views? Yes. Passionate about them? Yes. Enemies? Never. I do not need my own beliefs written into law to live my life the way I desire, I do not value safety over liberty, and this is a critical lesson that is seemingly being ignored by most Americans to our detriment. If some folks want to get together and create a society in the state of SC in order to live out their lives the way they believe, more power to them, and thanks be to God we live in a nation where we can even entertain such a choice.
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