Laws that Enforce Religious Tenets Tend to Kill Religions


For decades I've heard the argument that state sponsored religions drive people away from its faith instead of the opposite. Europe with its state endorsed denominations and empty churches is evidence. Nevertheless, during all those decades I've seen some branches of Christianity in the U.S. try to drive their religious views into government. It's as if religious zealots are on a Christian suicide mission.

Let's start with the right to gay marriage. I know of books written by self appointed experts in the Constitution, U.S. history and its culture. They try to make the case all of us through our government, not through our religious beliefs, have reason to oppose gay marriage. An effort is made to say (paraphrasing) our government, representing all of us, "Has sound reason to prohibit same sex marriages. The reason is that the purpose of marriage is to have children. More children is in the national interests. Same sex couples cannot have children so such a pointless marriage should be outlawed."

The argument linking marriage to children is balderdash. My aunt married a man when they were both 88. Should our government, guided by "Christian principles" have prohibited that marriage? Younger couples who can have children often decide not to have them. How do we handle that? Allow a year or two to go by and if there is no pregnancy we cancel the marriage? From what I have read and heard the effort to prohibit by law same sex marriage hurt the faith, especially among those it needs the most, young people.

Republican Senators in D.C. are cheering their success at an anti abortion Supreme Court judge. They wanted Trump to brag about this, thinking it would help turn out votes for Trump and their Senators. This is another case that inevitably will work against Christianity. There are some 600,000 abortions per year in the U.S. While surveys have found a few women who have abortions are against them philosophically, the remaining are a big number. Year after year the number of women who have had an abortion rises and with it goes support for abortion rights. Those parts of the faith that oppose will see numbers fall. It is happening right now.

Keep religion and government separate and religion will be more popular.

Comments

  1. Matt NoahNovember 9, 2020 at 10:50 AM

    Hmmm, all Christians and most every other group of religious people oppose theft, murder and fraud. All have lived centuries longer than any political group of people.

    ReplyDelete

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