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Current mood:  argumentative Category: Religion and Philosophy
I belong to a debate forum or two, and I spend a lot of time there, "venting" about the state of the world.
The question came up:
"Why do some secularists feel the need to try to eradicate every semblance of religion from the metaphoric public square? Yet another religion-bashing thread!"
My response:
Excuse me, who's a secularist? I prefaced my piece by saying that I was 'raised in the church".....I sang mass 5 days out of 7, on average, for 3 years (while attending The Anglican Choir School for Boys, in Chicago) . Hardly "secular".
And it is not "yet another religion-bashing thread".....it's a "when your practicing of your religion infringes on my life and world"-bashing thread.
"Religion" has taken on new meaning. It's become a "bad word", if not, a maligned philosophy.
The Pilgrims (Puritans) fled England so that they could further their cause, the practice of their "reformed version of The Church of England", far from the influence and machinations of King Charles I....
Before them, Henry VIII established the Church of England, as a way to get around the interference of Rome, in his quest for a male heir, at any cost, which meant annulling his first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon; finding his second wife, Anne Boleyn, guilty of adultery and having her beheaded....in essence, religion has long been about "politics". Nowadays is no exception.
Except "religious freedom" has now, ironically, come to include "religious interference"......add politics to that, and you get "a hot mess".
The Falwells and Robertsons of the world have their own particular view of religion and its' place in society. Where they fail is providing that everyone should share their view, and if not, then they are "maligned", in fact, "scripturally". Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. "Freedom, of religion" is, in fact, "turned on its' head". Where's the freedom? Where is the tolerance for the beliefs of others, especially "non-Christians"? Hell, where is the tolerance for the beliefs of other Christians? Didn't Hagee call the Roman Catholic Church, "the great whore"??? All these demagogues and false prophets, share commonalities. They've lost focus. They've lost clarity (if they ever had it)
They've lost the precepts of their beliefs...and now believe something entirely different, and "dark"...."self-importance", in the grand scheme of things.
Reverend Wright is right in there with them. A victim of his own folly. ( And, yes, I said it) The messenger went off message, and became the message.
Sounds a lot like Washington, to me...anybody else see the parallels?
Look, no one is "blasting" anyone's religion or religious beliefs, or lack thereof...and shouldn't be.
The thing is Christianity is but one religion in a sea of many. If Christ, himself, taught tolerance, love, and acceptance of all peoples...where do these demagogues get off criticizing, lambasting, and preaching against other people and their religious beliefs? Agendi. Politics. Self-importance.
Religion is not religion, anymore...it's a commodity...like "oil futures", to be bought and sold, for gain, or influence. But it's lost its' flavor and favor.....like Pepsodent. Anybody still using it?
3:46 PM
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