Religious Liberalism
I've been thinking about politics in our country, and while that's an issue that's bound to piss me off anyway, I've been noticing over the past few years one aspect that REALLY pisses me off.
Why have the media, the Democrats, the liberal populace, and the intelligent conservative populace (there is one, though it's small) allowed the "Religious Right" to declare themselves the moral conscience of the nation? Why has "religious" become synonymous with Republican? Why does the Christian right get to tell me what my morals and values should be? Even if you're a Republican (I am on some issues, although nothing so far with this administration) you should see something wrong with one group's beliefs being declared appropriate for the rest of the country. That isn't what our Constitution says is correct. Separation between Church and State is pretty clear.
So your church condemns homosexuality. Why does that allow you to require everyone else to condemn it as well? Your church supports drilling in Alaskan oil fields. (Where did you get that from the Bible?) Fine. But that doesn't make it a "moral" decision. It makes it a decision that you and your friends support. I understand that you believe that your beliefs are the right ones. (If you don't believe that, why do you have those beliefs?) But why do so many people believe that they have the right to make choices for others? And why do so many people let others get away with saying that their way is the only way to look at the world?
Why have we allowed one group to give themselves the label "moral" and to claim that they have the only interpretation of God's will? I believe in God. I'm Christian. But I find the values of the "Christian Right" to be repugnant and frightening. And I'm a Christian! What about members of other religions? Our country declares that we have separation between church and state and then allows a party to associate themselves with a religious group? I'm glad President Bush is Christian. But that should not affect his policies, nor those of any other member of his party. His policies should be grounded in the Constitution. They should be based on what will help our country and the world.
The "independent" media has given the "religious right" a free pass by accepting the labels the group has given themselves and transmitting those labels into our homes and minds. And the "religious left" has taken a very long vacation. It's time for the vacation to end. It's time for there to be more than one group claiming to have morals. And even if I don't agree with the religious left all the time either, it will be nice to have a debate for once.
There's an article in Salon that discusses the issue. I found it interesting. What's Happened to the Religious Left?
Why have the media, the Democrats, the liberal populace, and the intelligent conservative populace (there is one, though it's small) allowed the "Religious Right" to declare themselves the moral conscience of the nation? Why has "religious" become synonymous with Republican? Why does the Christian right get to tell me what my morals and values should be? Even if you're a Republican (I am on some issues, although nothing so far with this administration) you should see something wrong with one group's beliefs being declared appropriate for the rest of the country. That isn't what our Constitution says is correct. Separation between Church and State is pretty clear.
So your church condemns homosexuality. Why does that allow you to require everyone else to condemn it as well? Your church supports drilling in Alaskan oil fields. (Where did you get that from the Bible?) Fine. But that doesn't make it a "moral" decision. It makes it a decision that you and your friends support. I understand that you believe that your beliefs are the right ones. (If you don't believe that, why do you have those beliefs?) But why do so many people believe that they have the right to make choices for others? And why do so many people let others get away with saying that their way is the only way to look at the world?
Why have we allowed one group to give themselves the label "moral" and to claim that they have the only interpretation of God's will? I believe in God. I'm Christian. But I find the values of the "Christian Right" to be repugnant and frightening. And I'm a Christian! What about members of other religions? Our country declares that we have separation between church and state and then allows a party to associate themselves with a religious group? I'm glad President Bush is Christian. But that should not affect his policies, nor those of any other member of his party. His policies should be grounded in the Constitution. They should be based on what will help our country and the world.
The "independent" media has given the "religious right" a free pass by accepting the labels the group has given themselves and transmitting those labels into our homes and minds. And the "religious left" has taken a very long vacation. It's time for the vacation to end. It's time for there to be more than one group claiming to have morals. And even if I don't agree with the religious left all the time either, it will be nice to have a debate for once.
There's an article in Salon that discusses the issue. I found it interesting. What's Happened to the Religious Left?