Separation of church and state is important. In my view many if not all religions are about the control of the lives of their membership. This is in direct opposition to the principles our country was founded on. The English settlers who came to this country did so fleeing the state church of King George. They saw what could happen to their freedoms when the church was the state. That is why they enshrined in our constitution the principle of separation. In one of my postings on the old boards I had this little gem from
The Federalist #10 by James MadisonComplaints are everywhere heard from our most considerate and virtuous citizens, equally the friends of public and private faith, and of public and personal liberty, that our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority. However anxiously we may wish that these complaints had no foundation, the evidence, of known facts will not permit us to deny that they are in some degree true.
This is exactly the issue we face today. With the religious conservatives trying to impose their view their version government on the secular and non-christians.
Author and educator George Grant was Executive Director of Coral Ridge Ministries for many years. He explains in The Changing of the Guard, Biblical Principles for Political Action:
Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the land for Jesus Christ -- to have dominion in civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life and godliness.
But it is dominion we are after. Not just a voice.
It is dominion we are after. Not just influence.
It is dominion we are after. Not just equal time.
It is dominion we are after.
World conquest. That's what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish. We must win the world with the power of the Gospel. And we must never settle for anything less... Thus, Christian politics has as its primary intent the conquest of the land -- of men, families, institutions, bureaucracies, courts, and governments for the Kingdom of Christ.
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Theocracy WatchAll you have to do to see their latest front is to open your paper and read the articles and news coverage on the attempt by Bill Frist to remove the last vestiges the power the minority party has to block the Republican steamroller from their attack on the last independent branch of government. Yes the political party in control of the Legislative and Executive branches of our government wants to gain control of the only stopgap to their agenda, the Judicial branch. Believe me if this happens Justice would no longer be blind.
They accomplish this not from some populist mandate not from an overwhelming request from the population. Instead they count on apathy and lethargy.
Two great examples of this come from Pat Robertson's own words.
In his book The Millennium he said "With the apathy that exists today, a well organized minority can influence the selection of candidates to an astonishing degree."
Two years later he said to say.
"We want...as soon as possible to see a majority of the Republican Party in the hands of pro-family Christians..."
These are not mainstream views and they are not mainstream candidates they are the fringe but they have the control and the power over the Republican party. They also have no compunction about using deliberate falsehoods to advance their agenda after all being on Gods side he will forgive them or so they believe.
The only way to reverse this is to take a direct interest and take back the control of our nation and of the political parties from the religious fundamentalists. Call and write your elected representatives. Make political contributions. Lastly let your views be known.
Several excellent websites to keep track of what these people are up to are listed below.
Theocracy WatchThe Electronic Freedom FoundationAmericans United for Separation of Church and StatePeople for the American WayAlliance for Justice Interfaith AllianceAmericans for Religious Liberty