I'd like to know your opinions about the effects of religion in politics, both in your own country and in America. I'm an American who sees this as very harmful here. I don't know much about this in other countries.
Please identify the country about which you are writing.
Here are some guiding questions:
- What are the harmful effects of religion in government?
- What benefits can a society derive from having religion bound into or influencing government?
- Can you recommend any books that discuss this issue?
Thanks
I think that American government is being driven more and more by religious views. (I worry that perhaps that this may have been in some way partly responsible for our Iraq war.)
The following are some of my beliefs and opinions...
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There are no openly atheist members of congress, or holders of higher federal office. (I think this is true, but hard to verify). I recently read about several of America's "founding fathers" and discovered that some harbored doubts about the existence of God, and a few more publicly expressed disdain for established religion -- far different from the political climate today.
Thinking of values in terms of a particular religion's beliefs leads to laws that are based on religious teachings rather than on deliberation. (For those of you who are religious, consider how a country might change if another religion becomes more common than your religion.)
Religion is having a serious impeding effect on science in this country (a prime example is stem cell research, another is right-to-death).
Any government support of any religious organization effectively results in the transfer of tax dollars to those religious organizations. Examples are school vouchers (partial state reimbursement to families sending children to private religious schools), and "faith-based" services.
I understand that America is one of the most religious countries, with about 85% being Christian, 92% believing in God. Most modern countries are less religious.
Originally posted by zucchinizuccini,
I'd like to know your opinions about the effects of religion in politics, both in your own country and in America. I'm an American who sees this as very harmful here. I don't know much about this in other countries.
Please identify the country about which you are writing.
Here are some guiding questions:
- What are the harmful effects of religio ...[text shortened]... nto or influencing government?
- Can you recommend any books that discuss this issue?
Thanks
I think you are just noticing the obvious. Sixty percent of the population on the US has always concidered that religion is important.
As opposed to forty percent in the UK. As opposed to less than ten percent in France. As opposed to about 14% in Europe as a whole.
The reason is as obvious as well. The US has never incorporated religion or encouraged or prevented it. Our constitutions greatest feature is the distablishment of religion. Ironically. This has allowed all religions to COMPETE. In most of the world, religion has been Established by governments. Thus assuring it's demise.
So don't worry too much about religion. A lack of religion is more dangerous to the can-do spirit. Without the competition for religious ideas... the soul of the people just seems to wilt under the notion that "government" can and should provide.
America has never had a "socialist" movement. I would list the following as reasons for that.
1 - The distablishment of religion.
2 - Our founding was based on a business model. Literally the Virginia Company and the Massachusetts Charter as well as others. We have always had God and Mammon as our founders.
3 - We have always trusted our basic nature, ie greed. We are pure and simply convinced that we have a level CHANCE of success based on capitalism. And history does nothing to defeat this notion. No place else on earth offers one a BETTER chance of realizing dreams.
4 - We hold the right of property... especially a house and the property it sets on to be almost a grant from God.
5 - We are a big country. If you feel threatened by any government or Idea... there is somewhere to go to feel less threatened. This is not the case in smaller and/or more crowded areas of the world. In the US... we could give every person alive here an acre of land and a home. And that would only use up about 19% of the land.
6 - And most importantly of all. In Europe the notion of government has always been of it's monolithic right to exist as the TOP MOST level in all society. All power has always resided there. It is quite natural to thus envision that power as being bestowed down to the people. In the US we have the exactly opposite view. Power belongs only to the individual people. We very grudgingly bestow power upward to the government... but only on the smallest local levels. By the time the power we give to government reaches the federal level... We firmly believe it's only job is the maintainance of the military.
So religion is a good effect. It brings competition of thought. It allows people to hold onto the notion that individuals have a relationship with God. God is more powerful than all governments. Hence we don't fall into the worship of governments like most of Europe has done.
Originally posted by zucchiniNew Zealand. Prime Minister Helen Clarke is agnostic and religion is not an issue. Some MPs are Christians, one is Moslem but I could not be sure how many.
I'd like to know your opinions about the effects of religion in politics, both in your own country and in America. I'm an American who sees this as very harmful here. I don't know much about this in other countries.
Please identify the country about which you are writing.
Here are some guiding questions:
- What are the harmful effects of religio ...[text shortened]... nto or influencing government?
- Can you recommend any books that discuss this issue?
Thanks
There is a Christian Heritage party - they managed one seat out of 120 even with help from a major party. I think we are a post-Christian nation.
Originally posted by steerpikeWhen Tony Blair was asked about how his faith inspired him during the Iraq war (our PM's a devout Catholic, apparently), before he could answer his press advisor Alistair Campbell said "We don't do God over here." I think that about sums up British attitudes to religion in politics - the population might still be mostly Christian (about three quarters I've heard), but most people, especially in the press, would prefer that the overlap between the two was restricted to "Thought for the day" on Radio 4.
New Zealand. Prime Minister Helen Clarke is agnostic and religion is not an issue. Some MPs are Christians, one is Moslem but I could not be sure how many.
There is a Christian Heritage party - they managed one seat out of 120 even with help from a major party. I think we are a post-Christian nation.
I'd say Tony Blair's faith doesn't help him politically and might hurt him - not because of a hatred of Catholics (though this is something that only really left the mainstream in the 20th century, and we still have remnants of it, eg in Glasgow and Northern Ireland), but because people think his religious beliefs might have clouded his judgement over Iraq.
Originally posted by AcolyteCan't really see Tony finishing a speech with " God bless Great Britain". People would laugh - yet the UK has an established religion.
When Tony Blair was asked about how his faith inspired him during the Iraq war (our PM's a devout Catholic, apparently), before he could answer his press advisor Alistair Campbell said "We don't do God over here." I think that about sums up British attitudes to religion in politics - the population might still be mostly Christian (about three quarters I ...[text shortened]... and), but because people think his religious beliefs might have clouded his judgement over Iraq.