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The President decides that he can't enforce a law due to his religous convictions

Should the President be able to refuse to enforce laws based on religious beliefs?

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No

    Votes: 16 94.1%

  • I refuse to answer on the grounds it will reveal my hypocrisy

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other (explain)

    Votes: 1 5.9%
  • Total voters
    17
sangha

sangha

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Poll: Should the President be able to refuse to enforce laws based on religious beliefs?

for example, the President believes that the deportation of illegal aliens conflicts with Matthew 25:35-40

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
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2nd example

The president believes SSM is immoral so s/he instructs the IRS to disallow tax deductions based on SSM
 
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I think it's honorable that he stands up for his convictions. Unfortunately, it will be fought, and fought hard. Can't intermingle church and state.

But yeah - to me it's impressive. Gotta be hard to take a stand on something that you know will make the other side hate you even more.
 
The President also is required to follow the law. We will be forced to hide the chuckle over the laws some Presidents have broken.
 
sangha said:
Poll: Should the President be able to refuse to enforce laws based on religious beliefs?

for example, the President believes that the deportation of illegal aliens conflicts with Matthew 25:35-40
Click to expand...



Nibble, nibble.



Nibble nibble.



Heh, nope... not swallowing that bait! :inandout:
 
"No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it."

Teddy Roosevelt
 
Anyone who does that has no business being president. Of course, that probably disqualifies around 3/4 of all the presidents we've had.
 
Korimyr the Rat said:
"No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it."

Teddy Roosevelt
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The Roosevelt's were dolts, and power hungry. That quote being one of Theodore's lesser moments of doltishness. The quote for this country is a contradiction. For the law to stand, permission must be granted by the governed to honor it however implicitly or explicitly, otherwise the law becomes just not more than some dried ink and paper.
 
his oath says he will defend the Constitution
his faith cannot interfere with that obligation



sometimes it boomerangs on us
pity nixon's quaker heritage did not temper his advocacy for senseless war
 
sangha said:
Poll: Should the President be able to refuse to enforce laws based on religious beliefs?

for example, the President believes that the deportation of illegal aliens conflicts with Matthew 25:35-40



2nd example

The president believes SSM is immoral so s/he instructs the IRS to disallow tax deductions based on SSM
Click to expand...

The President swears an Oath when he enters that Office.

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Nowhere in that Oath does it give a qualifier of "But only if I agree with it."
 
No, his/her official actions as president are an action of the state, not a personal choice, and therefore violating the separation of church and state. If something like this were to be implemented, it would have the potential for the president to basically have unlimited power. "Religious beliefs" is an ambiguous term, and any ideological stance can be justified by religious beliefs (though these justifications are often poor).
 
Apparently we have one who does than now
 
sangha said:
Poll: Should the President be able to refuse to enforce laws based on religious beliefs?

for example, the President believes that the deportation of illegal aliens conflicts with Matthew 25:35-40



2nd example

The president believes SSM is immoral so s/he instructs the IRS to disallow tax deductions based on SSM
Click to expand...

The POTUS takes an oath to "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States". Since the First amendment to said Constitution forbids the government from "effecting an establishment of religion", a POTUS would do better to offer a non-religious moral objection as the cause of any actions he takes in his capacity as the Chief Magistrate of the U.S.
 
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