If One Religion Gets Tax Payers' Money, There's no Religious Freedom


I suppose this theme has been repeated for a thousand years by someone somewhere. It is that "religious freedom" means political leaders can endorse one religion and ridicule others, prayers in public and public money given to the religion that gets politicians the most votes. The link repeats the argument that religious people are better citizens and that's why the more religion the better the country. Quotes from the founding fathers are used to "prove" this latter point. Politicians giving money and support to one religion while telling people not to follow other religions does not seems like the "religious freedom" envisioned by the founding fathers. They wanted every religion to have a chance.

The link reviews the bad history of religion in government. In the 1500's in England the approved religions were variations of Protestantism. It quotes a triumphant politician who told of murdering lots of Catholics. The politician sounds a lot like a current one but today's version does not brag that Catholics are murdered. Other methods of cleansing are used. The link explains that murdering Catholics by the approved Protestants was not "good citizenship." But religious practices by "good religions are good for the country it is said. 

Can we say Christianity is a "good" religion when in the 1500's it thrived on killing Catholics? Is the motto of some Christian military "kill a communist for Christ" a worthy goal? One wonders this today especially when we have a President who says the leading communist in the world "Is my friend."

I agree with the statement, "Just a tiny bit of religion tossed into a Presidential speech (or a short prayer)" ususally is harmless. As a practical matter, however, closing the barn door after the horse has escaped does little good. If some religion is allowed in the public space a little more always seems OK.

Today, we have too many religious groups receiving too much money from our government. It's time to shut the barn door. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Time to Forget the Christian Nation Thing

Image
While women are forbidden from being priests/preachers in some branches of Christianity thank goodness they are not forbidden from writing and lecturing about Christianity. A great article about the "Christian nation" notion shows us the U.S. is not a Christian nation and hopefully never will be. It is written by a woman with nerve and was published on a very Christian site, Christian Post.  Among the pilgrims were a few that wanted to establish a utopian Christian society. Some of their brethren stayed behind in Europe hoping the push aside worldly forces there and bring sinners to God. Today, whether it is the anti abortion, anti gay/trans, anti immigration or the put prayer back in schools branch there are those who want a version of what some pilgrims wanted, a utopian Christian society. The pilgrims were disappointed. Today's Christian utopians will be also. Here is why. The children of pilgrims did not believe the same things as their parents. Parents were roundly d...
Read more

Ancient God, Bel (Baal), the Main Character in an Ancient Play

Image
In a British museum is a preserved stone tablet from Babylon. It dates to about 2,000 BCE. Someone labored patiently to inscribe an entire passion play featuring the god Bel. I reiterate this is a stone tablet, not a recopied papyrus. The play begins with the god Bel arrested by soldiers and taken off the stage. He reappears at a trial in the Hall of Judgement. Bel is innocent but is sentenced to death. In the next scene Bel is accosted by a mob. He is despised and rejected. The actor playing Bel is then taken by guard to a hilltop in a sacred grove. Two criminals are taken with him. One of these is released. The the audience then leaves the theater and follows the actor Bel and his guards to the top of a hill where the death scene is enacted by hanging from a tree. The audience returns to the theater for the dramatic final scenes. The dead Bel is stripped and prepared for burial. On a theatrical hill to the side of the stage is a tomb where the body is placed. A stone is rolle...
Read more

Who Suffers from a "Hardened Heart"

Image
Some years ago on this blog there was a discussion about what the Bible calls "The hardened heart." The "hardened heart" was the explanation given for why people like me cannot accept the tenets of Christianity. We are unable to believe there are floating spirits and gods or imaginary places people go when the die. Now, a prominent Christian preacher and author has given us a way to diagnose the "hardened heart." It contained some surprises.  Rev. John Piper, who spoke about the hardened heart, said we can see this in a person who lacks "ordinary tenderness and compassion." He went on to describe the characteristics of a person without the affliction of the hardened heart. A healthy person displays empathy and sympathy. Those with the hardened heart are like stone. Jesus wanted compassion for the poor. The hardened heart discussion referred to atheists only if they are sinners and then it was indirectly. Sin, Piper said, hardens one's heart a...
Read more