Theocracy?

[Harri_Laaksonen]

I guess I will be condemned by many as being a “liberal” but enough of that.

My question boils down to “If or when the heavy hand of the state and the blunt instrument of criminal and civil law should be applied to moral and theological questions?”

I can agree with the “no abortion under any circumstances” group theologically. I have no problem with life-begins-at-conception.

What causes me problems is how close many Christians, of several stripes, are ready to look at what amounts to a form of Sharia as the solution to social and moral problems.

We are looking today at another U.S. Governor being unfaithful to his marriage vows and many are very scandalized. (personally I feel that it shows our fallibility) And we are at the same time scandalized by the crack-down on pro-democracy demonstrators by the theocracy in Iran.

It is time for all Christians to examine their hearts and minds. I have, and swam the Tiber.

 

[06convert]

Society needs to realize there is more to life than each persons individual needs. They need to see that some self sacrifice can go a long way for the common good. People need to not be afriad to do something for someone else, to be generous and do the right thing without fear.

The US government needs to be reminded of why this nation was formed. Why a group of men sat in a hot room during the summer and hashed out a Declaration of Independence. Our governemnt was formed to represent the people and to advance the common good.

Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Paper # 65 “If mankind were to resolve to agree in no institution of government, until every part of it had been adjusted to the most exact standard of perfection, society would soon become a general scene of anarchy, and the world a desert.”

We aren’t supposed to be perfect, or even strive for it. We are just supposed to do the right thing.

James Madison wrote in the Federalist Paper # 51: “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”

 

[edwest2]

Jesus told His disciples: Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Growing up in the late 1950s and 1960s, I saw Catholic adults doing their best to be holy and yes, perfect. Over the last 40 years, I watched American culture, including Catholic culture, slowly poisoned. People gradually turned away from the Truth. Too many adopted the Hippie: “Hey man. If it feels good, do it.” Too many separated sex from love. If you look at the list of social problems, most of them have to do with human sexuality.

For those looking to History, I suggest you look up George Washington’s farewell address to the nation which was published in newspapers at the time. It’s online. He stresses the importance of religion in the lives of the people.

There used to something called Civics which was taught in schools. It discussed the duties of citizenship and how to be a good citizen. Kids do not spring fully educated from the womb. They have to be taught. But that was watered down too by dueling experts who experimented as opposed to just continuing with what worked. Let me tell you, things are not better now. And no, I’m not even suggesting things were perfect back then.

Religious people have one vote each just like everybody else.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Della]

I guess I will be condemned by many as being a “liberal” but enough of that.

My question boils down to “If or when the heavy hand of the state and the blunt instrument of criminal and civil law should be applied to moral and theological questions?”

I can agree with the “no abortion under any circumstances” group theologically. I have no problem with life-begins-at-conception.
**
What causes me problems is how close many Christians, of several stripes, are ready to look at what amounts to a form of Sharia as the solution to social and moral problems.**

We are looking today at another U.S. Governor being unfaithful to his marriage vows and many are very scandalized. (personally I feel that it shows our fallibility) And we are at the same time scandalized by the crack-down on pro-democracy demonstrators by the theocracy in Iran.

It is time for all Christians to examine their hearts and minds. I have, and swam the Tiber.

Trust me, there isn’t going to be a Sharia-like take over of the USA because of opposition to abortion on demand. There are plenty of secular reasons for banning abortion on demand that have nothing to do with theology. It is for the good of the state, as well as religion that abortion not be allowed as it currently is.

If a state can say that a person isn’t a person at any stage of life, then the state can claim the right to let/declare/rule that life exempt from the ordinary protections of the law. And that is what happened when Roe v. Wade was decided. Human beings in the womb were in essence declared “non-persons” and therefore devoid of rights.

This means the state can (and has) declared living persons devoid of the right to life, people such as Terri Schiavo (may she rest in the peace of Christ). All of us are in danger of being declared “non-persons” if the state deems we are an inconvenience, a non-person, useless to society, and the list of excuses goes on. Need I say more?