[lbo-talk] Barack Obama/Christianity

[Carl Remick]

>From: John Thornton <jthorn65 at mchsi.com>
>
>>For my part I will not suggest but say straight out that Christianity is 
>>for the stupid and ignorant.  To speak just of my own alma mater, the 
>>Episcopal Church, I have watched with astonishment as the worldwide 
>>Anglican community has all but condemned US Episcopalians to the devil for 
>>appointing a gay bishop.  I resent the medieval mindset that has resulted 
>>in this sacralized persecution of homosexuals, and I resent that crazy 
>>disputes like this distract attention from issues that God-fearing people 
>>*should* be focusing on -- such as the waging of senseless wars and the 
>>inequitable distribution of wealth in society.
>>More to the point, I think *all* religion in public life is evil.  One of 
>>the inarguably excellent ideas of the founding fathers was that US 
>>government should be founded on an entirely secular foundation.  Once 
>>religion enters the picture, policy debates turn from a discussion of 
>>material concerns, where compromise is always possible, to poisonous 
>>arguments over matters of faith, which are almost always zero-sum games.
>>I think people have every right to be as religiious -- as stupid and 
>>ignorant -- as they wish in their own private lives.  But public life is 
>>another matter.  Religion should play no part whatsoever in the political 
>>institutions of a democracy.
>>
>>Carl
>
>You simply cannot say belief in religion is for stupid people.

According to the First Amendment I can.  Besides, doubt is supposed to be 
part of the religious experience -- that small nagging voice asking, am I 
really insane to believe this?  And how can that doubt exist in Christian 
World USA, with everyone basking in a hot tub of religious 
self-satisfaction?  Believe me, people of faith here in the land of the 
pious are going to turn into a smug pack of pharisees unless there are 
people of ridicule, such as myself, around to jeer at their credulousness.

Carl