There are worst ways to live than following the modern Christian Commandments. With the exception of the two entries based on magic they are a pretty good guide for getting along with others and having a nice life.
Yet if the previous two Presidential administrations have taught America and the world nothing else it is how dangerous and foolish it is to interpret the Decalogue, dare it be said, liberally. America is walking the same path sowed with mines that many other countries have tread upon and we are ignoring the warning signs. A successful theocratic Government is as much an impossible dream as a successful utopia. The Utopian format fails for the same reason one based on religion would: Human nature. Selfishness, laziness and greed for power will always undermine even the most perfect system. A Government based on religion is particularly vulnerable, as the expressions of fealty by those in charge play and prey off of the beliefs and gullibility of the populace. Freedoms and basic human rights are restricted or vanish all in the name of what is 'right' or what is interpreted that God would want. That a select number, usually in a privileged position few people can attain, would be able to wield ultimate authority over the thoughts and actions of millions based on an interpretation of the 'truth' is mind-boggling, rife with hubris and arrogance. It is a crime of oppression.
For nearly the last two decades America has served as a perfect modern example of why Church and State must remain separate. Americans suffered under increasingly bizarre policies brought about by applying fanciful interpretations of right and wrong. Those in charge increasingly eroded the barriers between Church and State through a desire to increase a power base. This was done by pandering to the variously gullible, hopeless, hopeful and the unbalanced members of a large and influential religion.
It was a spectacular modern failure. The abuses and corruption were made all the more heinous as those responsible for misdeeds on occasion used a book as a shield and cowered behind an altar. It was our Government that pretended to lead a Christian nation by applying Christian ideals as solutions to moral and ethical problems. It was a Government that all but declared Holy War against the extremist nations who strictly follow their own version of a deity. It was our Government that allowed magic to trump science, superstition and opinion to replace facts. It was a Government that declared a few cells in a test tube "sacred" but had no ethical hesitations when it came to torturing soldiers and civilians captured in foreign battlefields. Along with patriotism (which is intimately tied into Christianity in this country) religion was used to mollify, deceive, quell dissent and excuse behaviors.
The greatest advances in this country as a people have all resulted in us evolving away from Iron Age superstitions and the last 8 years has very nearly undone centuries of progress. The separation of Church and State needs to be maintained and moreover, restored. It was what our founders wanted.
Blog Against Theocracy 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Iron Age II
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Amen to that!
ReplyDeleteAnd I applaud Sleekstak for this post.
I am opposed to embryonic stem cell research on ethical grounds: I do not believe even "potential human beings" should be subject to medical procedures and scientific experiments that will result in their destruction.
ReplyDeleteBut like you, I see an extreme form of hypocrisy to decry the destruction of human embryos while at the same time permitting quite brutal methods of torture. If one is going to (rightfully) defend embryos, one must also defend the right of all human beings to not be tortured.
They can't even make the argument that the torture produced any valuable information. as more and more data is released, it is readily apparent that whatever knowledge that was gleaned through torture was suspect and often false. It is indeed sickening that people who claim to be Christians behaved in such a manner.
Buzz, I agree that the wholesale harvesting of embryos shouldn't occur. The major concern and fear of most people is that women will serve or be exploited as embryo factories for profit. It's a concern I share that has the potential to be a very harsh reality. But check the origins of where the stem cells being used for research come from.
ReplyDeleteThis is utter horseshit. Not liking Bush's politics or execution of policy does not mean that America is any closer to a "theocracy" than it has ever been. I could argue that there has never been a greater LACK or religion and morality in the public arena, including the legislative and judicial environment. Refusal to move agressively in a secular leftist direction does not mean that we are moving backward. That is just your perspective.
ReplyDeleteMorality or the lack of in Govt isn't the problem, it's the manipulation of the gullible whiel pretending to be moral, pure and motivated by a higher power I have a problem with.
ReplyDeleteI don't for a second believe any of these clowns in charge actually believe what they preach. if they did, they'd be terrified of what was coming when they pass on.