(January 5, 2013 at 8:35 am)downbeatplumb Wrote:(January 5, 2013 at 8:22 am)Mark 13:13 Wrote: some would say civilization is only skin deep and when put under stress and a restraining hand of authority is lifted the results are not pretty but i'm not sure how much this has been tested.
Some authority is required to keep order but the worst abuses occur when authority is involved.
Look at Iran, Egypt, Afghanistan under the Taliban and Europe in the middle ages.
The problems occur when authority gets too intrusive, this is amplified if they think they have a mandate from god.
I agree and it was the worst thing that ever happened to the Church when it did gain temporal power in my opinion. But to say we shouldn't allow our beliefs to influence how we interact with society would be also just as dangerous and not just for Theists.
