Mixing religion and politics

Should it be mixed?

yes	8.3%	[ 2 ]
no	91.7%	[ 22 ]
Total Votes:			[ 24 ]

[tailsx5000]

Should religion be mixed with politics or should it be separated. Why do you think that is should/ shouldn't?

I believe it shouldn't mix together because not everyone is the same religion, it makes the country look as if we are forcing religion on people. That's my answer, what's yours?

[Eveille]

No it shouldn't. Religion is pretty much a huge factor to someone's beliefs and identity though, so whether it should or shouldn't is irrelevant since it inevitably will mix when it comes time to make decisions. People make decisions about what is right based on their current knowledge and on their values, both of which are influenced by religion. The only escape is someone who is aware of this connection and willfully chooses to enforce the secular law over their religion's mandates.

[ripsaw service pack 1]

yes, i think religious texts are great guidelines to rule nations by

i mean why did we ever abandon monarchy

or give women rights

[keeping my secrets]

Absolutely not. They shouldn't mix at all.

(I'm assuming you're American--because you didn't say where you're from,--and I am....so we'll go with that.)

Not everyone is a member of the majority religion, and should that majority religion get mixed up in politics (even more than it already is) certain groups of people would inevitably get their rights stomped on.

Like non-Christians. The LGBT community. And kids in school when they are forced to learn biblical history instead of the real thing, creationism over and instead of evolution, and forced to pray in classes.

Religion in politics...not a good thing at all.

And we need to get religion out of politics as it is now. If churches are going to act as political action committees, we should be taxing those ********.

[Requiem in Mortis]

Religion and politics are like Red Bull and vodka. They shouldn't be mixed, and when they are, it causes problems for everyone who isn't drinking it (and also religion, like Red Bull, leaves a horrid aftertaste).

As for the reasons, well, keeping my secrets outlined it perfectly.

[Director Danguy]

Requiem in Mortis

Religion and politics are like Red Bull and vodka. They shouldn't be mixed, and when they are, it causes problems for everyone who isn't drinking it (and also religion, like Red Bull, leaves a horrid aftertaste).

As for the reasons, well, keeping my secrets outlined it perfectly.

Seconding this so hard,

[The rose in spring]

No which is why I'm NOT supporting Romney.

[Queen Shining Heaven]

religion and politics don't belong together. Religion is the personal matter of each indidvidual, not a credential for elections

[Requiem in Mortis]

The rose in spring

No which is why I'm NOT supporting any of the GOP candidates who have an actual shot at the White House.

[Dardanos Immortalis]

This shouldn't even be a question.

[azulmagia]

I'll just let the dude from Ballon Juice say what the problem is:

Quote:

But from where I stand these days, the only thing I see religion doing in the public sector is gay bashing and telling women, mostly poor and desperate and in deplorable financial and personal situations, what to do with their bodies. I see busybodies deciding what drugs they can dispense to which customers, or deciding that they don’t have to issue a marriage license because of some petty deity that I don’t believe in told them to hate their fellow citizens and ignore the law. In a country in dire financial straits but still spending billions and billions of dollars on education, I see religious folks actively and openly working to make our schoolkids dumber. I see them shooting people who provided a medical procedure, and I see others rummaging through people’s personal lives to find out who hasn’t lived up the word of God. I see glassy-eyed fools running for President claiming that vaccines that save lives actually cause cancer, or that if you get raped and are pregnant, you should just lie back and think of Jeebus and make the best of a bad situation. In fact, everywhere you look these days, if Christianity or religion is getting a mention, it means something ugly is happening and someone somewhere is being victimized, marginalized, or otherwise abused. Go read some of the arguments against integration and you’ll see the same bible verses used today against homosexuals. Fifty years from now, they’ll be recycling them again to trash someone else they don’t like or who isn’t good enough for them.

(link)

I think people trying to push sectarian positions into the political arena should be politely told to totally desist from doing so. If they insist, they should either be allowed to leave the country or they should be coerced into surrender.

[LSD TV]

Sometimes, for example when the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church suggested a recount of votes in the recent election, I think that was a beneficial way for the religious institution to use its influence over the people to try to effect political change. Appealing for teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public schools in America? Not so much.

[azulmagia]

LSD TV

Sometimes, for example when the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church suggested a recount of votes in the recent election, I think that was a beneficial way for the religious institution to use its influence over the people to try to effect political change. Appealing for teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public schools in America? Not so much.

The difference between "beneficial" religious influence and "harmful" is spurious. It's more like the difference between lead poisoning and cyanide poisoning.

[LSD TV]

azulmagia

LSD TV

Sometimes, for example when the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church suggested a recount of votes in the recent election, I think that was a beneficial way for the religious institution to use its influence over the people to try to effect political change. Appealing for teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public schools in America? Not so much.

The difference between "beneficial" religious influence and "harmful" is spurious. It's more like the difference between lead poisoning and cyanide poisoning.

In the two cases I described its not. I'd prefer to examine each instance of the mixing independently and evaluate each one on its own rather than make a blanket statement. No state can function completely independently of commonly held beliefs among its population.

[azulmagia]

LSD TV

azulmagia

LSD TV

Sometimes, for example when the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church suggested a recount of votes in the recent election, I think that was a beneficial way for the religious institution to use its influence over the people to try to effect political change. Appealing for teaching intelligent design as an alternative to evolution in public schools in America? Not so much.

The difference between "beneficial" religious influence and "harmful" is spurious. It's more like the difference between lead poisoning and cyanide poisoning.

In the two cases I described its not. I'd prefer to examine each instance of the mixing independently and evaluate each one on its own rather than make a blanket statement.

If we include the "good" religion (no such thing BTW), then it's very hard to rationalize keeping the "bad" religion out.

And who judges what's good and bad in that context anyways?

Quote:

No state can function completely independently of commonly held beliefs among its population.

That could justify ANYTHING.