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How much religion should exist in politics?

How much religion should exist in politics?

  • Alot, secular decisions based on morality will reflect in the people that follow the law

    Votes: 3 15.0%

  • Religion is fine, but should be used minimally in secular decisions

    Votes: 13 65.0%

  • Religion should be strictly controled/banned

    Votes: 4 20.0%
  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .
Nordenkalt444

Nordenkalt444

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I think religion is fine but should be used minimally in legislative decisions.
 
Religion has no place in legislation or the legislature.
 
People are going to conduct themselves in accordance with their values. You will never change that, be those values religious or otherwise.
 
Hopefully, this is not going to be another "Let's all have fun insulting religion" thread.

Additionally, the poll questions above would seem to indicate that the OP does not know the meaning of the word "secular."
 
Realisticly, religion does guide some people's morality, so religion will have some aspect in politics. However, it should never be the basis of any law, i.e. gays should not marry because the Bible says so.
 
Whatever amount of religion that public allows it to be influenced by.
 
As much as secularism. We shouldn't discriminate against beliefs or political ideas (non theocratic) because they may stem from religious beliefs or morals.
 
Fisher said:
People are going to conduct themselves in accordance with their values. You will never change that, be those values religious or otherwise.
Click to expand...

And laws made by our legislature should be based on objective evidence and rational argument. Religion offers neither. No amount of faith will make a law banning the mixing of wool and linen a law that the US can pass. It's fine if your morality comes from religion, but ideas about morality aren't enough to be the basis for a law in this country.
 
Albert Einstein said this:

"A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death."

Collected Quotes from Albert Einstein
 
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Paschendale said:
And laws made by our legislature should be based on objective evidence and rational argument. Religion offers neither. No amount of faith will make a law banning the mixing of wool and linen a law that the US can pass. It's fine if your morality comes from religion, but ideas about morality aren't enough to be the basis for a law in this country.
Click to expand...

Sure it is: Thou Shall Not Kill=Murder statutes
 
Paschendale said:
And laws made by our legislature should be based on objective evidence and rational argument. Religion offers neither. No amount of faith will make a law banning the mixing of wool and linen a law that the US can pass. It's fine if your morality comes from religion, but ideas about morality aren't enough to be the basis for a law in this country.
Click to expand...

Kind of ironic then how our justice system itself is influenced by Judeo Christian ethics.
 
0bserver92 said:
Religion has no place in legislation or the legislature.
Click to expand...

Can you stop it? And how would you ever really know how much one's beliefs influence one? Or not?
 
It is not the purview of the US government to decide what is or is not religious in the first place.

The 1st amendment forbids it from taking that role.

Is a rabbit's foot a religious object? To some maybe. How about a crucifix or a bible or the ten commandments carved in stone on a courthouse lawn?

To some people I suppose those are religious symbols.

However it is none of the government's business to decide.
 
Should be used minimally. I subscribe to the belief that it serves a utilitarian purpose that should not be allowed to roam free enough to define most political choices. It should also be given some good nods to in public discourse, because it helps stabilize the worst excesses of mankind.
 
Fisher said:
Sure it is: Thou Shall Not Kill=Murder statutes
Click to expand...

Do you really think that prohibitions against murder did not exist before Moses decided to tell people not to do it? Or that there are no non-religious reasons not to murder people?

Stopandthink said:
Kind of ironic then how our justice system itself is influenced by Judeo Christian ethics.
Click to expand...

See above, but frankly, our justice system specifically would be highly alien to anyone who lived during biblical times. The whole "innocent until proven guilty" idea, trial by jury... lots of it. Or any of our ideas about rights. These were people who thought it was cool to kill someone for lighting a fire on Saturday.

So no, our laws are not based on the bible at all, nor is our legal system or government in any way based on biblical tenets. But none of that has any bearing on my original point that any law we pass in this country must have reasoning behind it greater than "god told me so".
 
None is impossible, it's literally plays into one's moral core and so on, just don't be a bible thumper within the legislative process.
 
Preferably none, but that's just unrealistic.
 
I have no problem with persons in politics following their religion, but I do have a problem with them if they try to force their religion on others.

Everyone, atheist included, have a religious choice. So, there is no way to have a religious free government. We just have to be sure it favors no particular religion.

Instead of bowing down to the atheist religion by taking symbols, prayer, etc. out of public/government owned places, we should be offering equal time and space to all religions, including the atheist.

Separation of Church and State was supposed to allow no one religion to force it's religious views through government, not that religion should not exist in government.
 
Boo Radley said:
Can you stop it? And how would you ever really know how much one's beliefs influence one? Or not?
Click to expand...

If you are religious leave it at the door, you live in a world where everyone has different beliefs. It has no place in government which should always be secular.
"What is considered sinful in one of the great religions to which citizens belong isn't necessarily sinful in the others. Criminal law therefore cannot be based on the notion of sin; it is crimes that it must define." - Pierre Trudeau
 
I completely believe in a full separation of church and state. I find religion to negatively effect proper decision making. Not only that, but the United States is full of religion. We have so many different faiths that it is not right to put one in front of the other. I also don't believe in dictating morality. I believe we should make sure people don't infringe on the liberties of others (which would include murder, stealing, extortion, etc.).
 
0bserver92 said:
If you are religious leave it at the door, you live in a world where everyone has different beliefs. It has no place in government which should always be secular.
"What is considered sinful in one of the great religions to which citizens belong isn't necessarily sinful in the others. Criminal law therefore cannot be based on the notion of sin; it is crimes that it must define." - Pierre Trudeau
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The question is whether that is really possible or not. Don't my beliefs inform my decisions?
 
Boo Radley said:
The question is whether that is really possible or not. Don't my beliefs inform my decisions?
Click to expand...

You cannot make laws because you think that all of society should follow your religious values. You have to consider what it said in the quote. Pierre Trudeau was a religious person, educated at religious schools, and went to church but he did not let it influence his governing.
 
0bserver92 said:
If you are religious leave it at the door, you live in a world where everyone has different beliefs. It has no place in government which should always be secular.
"What is considered sinful in one of the great religions to which citizens belong isn't necessarily sinful in the others. Criminal law therefore cannot be based on the notion of sin; it is crimes that it must define." - Pierre Trudeau
Click to expand...

So, if someone doesn't support a war because their religious faith states that it is wrong should they not vote or support a pacifist position? What about other issues? Religion shapes a person's beliefs and will shape their politics. Everyone does have different beliefs, but that doesn't mean that certain people with certain beliefs need to leave theirs at the door because they are based on religion and not on an atheistic philosophy or secular philosophy.
 
digsbe said:
So, if someone doesn't support a war because their religious faith states that it is wrong should they not vote or support a pacifist position? What about other issues? Religion shapes a person's beliefs and will shape their politics. Everyone does have different beliefs, but that doesn't mean that certain people with certain beliefs need to leave theirs at the door because they are based on religion and not on an atheistic philosophy or secular philosophy.
Click to expand...

See above you must take other religious views into consideration.
 
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