sooo - if you're Hindu, you don't pay the tax?

[littlebillie]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Politics/religion030702.html

 

Merlyn, I'm eager to read your comments on this!

[NWScouter]

Here is an example of the not understanding the separation of Church and State. The separation is that the state can not support any religion or give that appearance. It must be also fair in its actions toward all religions. But not that individuals cannot make decisions based on their religion and its beliefs.

When I look at how my political beliefs have developed over time, I can see the influence of my faith journey, my parents (and maybe a bit of rebellion from them), my Scouting, my friends, and my schooling. To tell anyone to divorce any aspect from their decision making is wrong.

It also lacks a knowledge of history. For without an acknowledgment of religions role for both good and bad, you cant understand history or the modern world.

When we remove religion from the teaching of history how do we explain the changes wroth by the expansion of the Christian faith in the first centuries of the Common Era (AD, I am trying to be a little PC). The spread of Islam in the six and seventh century and the resulting crusades. The effect of the conflicts between Muslim and Christian peoples in Spain and the Balkans in years past that influence those areas today. To ignore the reformation of the sixteenth century is to handicap student of their understanding of Modern Europe and the tensions in Northern Ireland for one.

The great social movements in the United States have had religious underpinning. From the waves of people who have come here to worship as they pleased or to not worship. The abolition of slavery was spearheaded by church groups and also was the defense. Prohibition had its Christian Womens Temperance Union and also the fear of those drunken immigrants (particularly Irish and other Roman Catholics) corrupting our Christian Nation. The progressive era of late nineteenth and early twentieth century came out of the churches with their founding of settlement houses and social programs.

The peace movements of the twenties and the sixties both had strong religious support. The civil rights movement came directly out of churches as did most of its leadership.

When we stop discussing and debating these influences on public life out fear of offending any group we lose the ability to understand our world and nation today.

This was brought home to me when my son was in middle school and his world history text book had no mention of the reformation (my area in my BA). I told him I thought his text was lacking. He went to his honors teacher and told her it what I thought. So I ended up giving a three day session on the reformation. Ever since, this has been a pet rant of mine.

Just an interesting aside, my professor in my college History of Christianity course (at a large public university) argued that communism was a Christian heresy. Think about that.

 

[packsaddle]

Yes, yes, this is delicious! And I'm interested in hearing a little more about communism being Christian heresy. Could you expand on that a bit?

[OldGreyEagle]

"Liberal religious activists"

 

is that the new definitive definition of an oxymoron or what?

[NWScouter]

If I remember his argument correctly, it has to do with taking God out of Christian social views. From the communal sharing of Acts to the Anabaptists of the reformation you find the underpinnings. He was speaking of the more pure communism, not the form finally practiced. It had also to do with the philosophers that came out of Christian backgrounds that Marx and Engles built upon. Youre asking me to go back thirty years to that lecture room in Condon Hall. It was the seventies and I was young , working and our now Eagle Scout was on the way, so sometimes Im lucky just to remember the highlights. I dont know were my old notes are and I dont have a copy of Treadgolds book, so I not sure I can give you more and do justice to him.