How is Christianity & Freedom of Religion Rationalized?

mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,935
edited January 2012 in A Moving Train
This is a question for those who want our Government to be ran based off of the guiding principals of Christianity.

How do you rationalize this desire when we live in a government that demands separation of church and state?

Why are morals predominately based in Christianity something you want the government to have control of rather than the churches and only the churches?

This isn't a loaded question, I've just never seen this contradiction answered in a direct fashion from social conservatives and genuinely want to hear your opinion.
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Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • bgivens33bgivens33 Posts: 290
    I guess the basic answer would be, what guiding principals would you rather have it based on?

    But more specifically, this idea of separation of church and state didn't really spring up until the mid 1950s (Jefferson did write about it). In the early 1800s, there were still state sponsored churches. And I don't think you are handing over the morals of the church to the government, you are just electing people that share your same values. If you wanted to legalize homosexual marriage, wouldn't you elect a candidate that felt the same way?
  • mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,935
    bgivens33 wrote:
    I guess the basic answer would be, what guiding principals would you rather have it based on?

    The human rights; Life, liberty, and the pursuit of hapiness.

    Not to get into anything specific and keep things on an idealogical scale. It shouldn't matter what someone's personal values would be because because as long as their guiding principals are base solely in the declaration of independence and the constitution. I could live my life based on my morals and the politicians on theirs.
    bgivens33 wrote:
    And I don't think you are handing over the morals of the church to the government, you are just electing people that share your same values.

    That's the means, but the end result is so that those morals are upheld in Government decisions.
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  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
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    'In God We Trust' on the back of every dollar bill?

    Firstly, I'd love to hear a politician try and explain what 'God' is.

    Secondly, what do America's Jewish and Muslim population think of this statement?

    Also, what is meant by the word 'trust' here? What exactly is it that people trust this 'God' of theirs will do for them?

    Lastly, why proclaim any adherence to a religious fantasy on the back of a dollar bill? Surely the last place any religious ideal should be advertised is on the back of a monetary note? Or is this some remnant of the protestant work ethic, where religion, labour, and capitalism go hand in hand in an imagined manifest destiny where those who don't fit the bill in the pursuit of material wealth are trampled underfoot and/or sent off to the reservations?
  • do you really not think that the church - or certainly specific churches - has been corrupted by by capitalist greed?
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • do you really not think that the church - or certainly specific churches - has been corrupted by by capitalist greed?

    You cannot label it capitalist greed! Its a human condition, and individual condition! The greed comes from a person that made the choice. Capitalism isnt the problem, Capitalists are! People are just being people! We are all born of sin-nature! You can put any system in there....whether it be socialism, capitalism, communism or some NEW ISM...and people will just be people! Greed will happen in any system....so once you understand that, then you have to ask yourself which is the best system? Its Capitalism! BY FAR
    Theres no time like the present

    A man that stands for nothing....will fall for anything!

    All people need to do more on every level!
  • ok well call it what you like, the point was tht the church is not immune to greed
    I don't mean to offend anyone, a lot of what I say should be taken with a grain of salt... that said for most of you I'm a stranger on a computer on the other side of the world, don't give me that sort of power!
  • rationalize freedom of religion? Here you go...

    http://www.goddiscussion.com/88544/form ... half-time/

    Former Worldwide Church of God preacher says Jesus Christ is returning on May 27, 2012 and that today marks the end of time and beginning of "half time"

    January 8, 2012 By God Discussion Reporter 38 Comments

    Ronald Weinland, who considers himself a prophet of God, continues to warn that Jesus Christ is returning on May 27, 2012.

    For those who do not believe him and mock his message, Weinland claims that they will die from cancer.

    His website, Church of God – PKG, claims that various end times events were triggered by the scattering of the Worldwide Church of God after the death of its founder, Herbert W. Armstrong. With Armstrong no longer at the helm, Weinland claims he "is the pastor of God's Church on earth, has also been appointed by the God of Abraham to be His end-time prophet and one of the two end-time witnesses (and spokesman of both), preceding the return of Jesus Christ on May 27, 2012."

    Under Armstrong, the Worldwide Church of God rejected the Christian notion of a trinity and followed Old Testament holy days and strict tithing rules that left people destitute. Armstrong and his followers believed that Jesus Christ would return to earth in 1975. It was considered by some to be a cult.

    After Armstrong's death in 1986, the church began to change much of its theology. By April 2009, the Worldwide Church of God announced the official change of its name to Grace Communion International. These changes were deemed heretical by people like Weinland, who formed various splinter churches that believe that they remain true to Armstrong's teachings.

    Even after the public ridicule of Harold Camping and his failed May 21, 2011 end times prophecy, Weinland has not backed down from his May 27 date.

    The latest is that the earth is now in a "biblical half time" that begins today, January 8, 2012. According to his blog,

    January 7, 2012, is another important occurrence for the timing of God’s work and end-time events. This date is an important crossroad in time as it ends a prophetically historic portion of time in Daniel that consists of a prophetic measure of “time” and “times” that began after Trumpets of 2009. January 8 of this year begins the final “half-a-time” of this full prophetic period known as “time, times, and half-a-time.” That day is the start of the final period of 140 days (half-a-time) that leads up to the very coming of the Messiah spoken of in those same prophecies of Daniel.

    Weinland is also predicting that "the United States will collapse" and that there will be a nuclear war before May 27 this year. "The truth is ridiculed, ignored, slandered and mocked," he warns.
    Everything not forbidden is compulsory and eveything not compulsory is forbidden. You are free... free to do what the government says you can do.
  • bgivens33bgivens33 Posts: 290
    bgivens33 wrote:
    I guess the basic answer would be, what guiding principals would you rather have it based on?

    The human rights; Life, liberty, and the pursuit of hapiness.

    Not to get into anything specific and keep things on an idealogical scale. It shouldn't matter what someone's personal values would be because because as long as their guiding principals are base solely in the declaration of independence and the constitution. I could live my life based on my morals and the politicians on theirs.
    bgivens33 wrote:
    And I don't think you are handing over the morals of the church to the government, you are just electing people that share your same values.

    That's the means, but the end result is so that those morals are upheld in Government decisions.

    Understandably you might chose to you the declaration of independence has your guiding principles, but surely you can understand why a Christian would use the Bible right?

    And of course those morals are upheld in Government decisions, that is the whole point in electing Christians.
  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    I would just like honesty in our government and in people in general

    I have felt that religion does not belong in government

    but some felt God does...

    1954 to Present
    "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
    The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of loyalty to the federal flag and the republic of the United States of America.

    My opinion that is unfair to those who do not believe in God
    that God should not be in our pledge for loyalty because
    this is not for everyone


    loyalty is more difficult in the presence of dishonesty
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