creationism and theocracy

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Jim Huggins <jhuggins () kettering edu>
Organization: Kettering University
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 08:55:41 -0500 (EST)
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: Ip <ip () v2 listbox com>, <smb () cs columbia edu>
Subject: Re: creationism and theocracy

Steven Bellovin writes:

> I think that this is the true divide today.  It's not economics or
> class; rather, it's the willingness of many (but by no means all) to
> use the power of the state to impose their religious beliefs.

It occurs to me that this statement seems to apply to both sides of the
debate.  (I'm not sure if that was your intention or not in writing it.)

It seems clear that the Founding Fathers were religious folk ... at least
deists, if not Christians.  Our government's practices are filled with
religious reference ... prayer to open each session of Congress, the
pronouncement of a blessing at each session of the Supreme Court, the
motto "In God We Trust", and so on.  (I'll stay out of the Pledge debate
... the motives there aren't nearly so pure.)

In my uninformed opinion, it seems to me that there are those who would
want to remove *all* reference to religious thought from public life.
This goes well beyond the Establishment Clause, which prohibits Congress
from establishing a state-endorsed religion.

In response, some religious conservatives over-react, and start working on
laws which dread terribly close to the Establishment Clause.  And so we
have extremists on both sides trying to impose their views on the other.

I think common middle ground could be found.  There ought to be a way to
acknowledge that religious faith is important to a large number of people
in our society, and to value those public expressions of faith, without
requiring subscription to a state religion.  There ought to be a way for
me to find out whether I should wish my neighbor a Merry Christmas or a
Happy Hanukah (or nothing at all), without fear of causing offense.
There ought to be a way to allow Christians to take Good Friday off from
work, and Jews to take Yom Kippur, and Muslims to take Id-al-Fitr, without
fear that somehow we are "endorsing" any particular religion by doing so.

It is easy to forget that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was also *Reverend*
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., pastor of a little church in Birmingham,
Alabama, when he found his faith propelling him into the public arena to
fight for civil rights.  It should be possible to celebrate how his faith
(and the faith of many others) compelled him into action, without imposing
a burdensome duty on others.

But, of course, I'm a hopeless idealist ...

------ End of Forwarded Message


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