(January 5, 2013 at 8:42 am)Mark 13:13 Wrote:(January 5, 2013 at 8:35 am)downbeatplumb Wrote: 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.
Facists monopolies should be faught, but fascism is not what most westerners or even atheists avocate.
It is dangerous to influence politics with terms of absolutes either relgion or political party. In as such, it is not wise to have your personal beliefs on religion become the law of the land. Your response just another veiled attempt to stay relevent.
Religion will not die by force, but it should be questioned at every turn and it is fighting an increasingly losing battle in the face of modern understanding of reality.
You are intitled to your own beliefs, and as a human rights issue you are also intitled to express them. But none of us are intitled to our own facts.
