In other words: A discussion of The Bush Administration
Church and State
Russian chapel razed after gay 'marriage'
Hey its their church, let them do that. I'm against prejudices but if you join a church you are joining into that church's prejudices, and they all have them. You can fight the prejudices from within but don't act surprised that they have them. Some are extreme ("you are gay, you will go to hell" "you are a Jew, you will go to Hell" "You are a Muslim, you will go to hell" "you are not a Muslim, you will go to hell") and can easily be mocked ("you have eaten shellfish, you will go to hell") but having Bush declare this week "Marriage Protection Week" and state that "Marriage is a union between a man and a woman" is not okay.
Bush is not leading a church he is (unfortunately) leading a country. What is he protecting? Is he protecting the sanctity of his brother's marriage in which Neil couldn't even remember how many women he slept with during business trips? Marriage is a hybrid religious/state institution in America where the government recognizes a church union as a legal union. Suddenly Bush is declaring what a marriage is? Doesn't he have better things to do? No he so believes in the sanctity of marriage that he is using it as political bait. In 2004 he will be so desperate of votes that he'll make marriage between gays a campaign issue. Its genius really, he could be shooting hillbilly heroin with Saddam and he'd still get the homophobe vote (bigger then you think).
I won't even go into the odd timing that the Marriage Protection Week starts on the anniversery of Matthew Shepard being killed (but do note that on the anniversary of Roe V. Wade Bush declared it "National Sanctity of Life Day.").
Those who think Islamic terrorists are the problem forget that there are Christians here that are pretty close to that themselves. Whether Pat Robertson declaring that we should put a nuke in the state department HQ (see postings from yesterday below) to the frendily Baptist Rev. Fred Phelps who wants to put a monument up to celebrate the beating of Matthew Shepard. Of course there is also the good Christian Eric Rudolph who kills abortion doctors and places bombs at the Atlanta Olympics (pretty much does mean he's a terrorist doesn't he).
Sometimes I hear people say "where is the outcry from respected Muslim religious leaders against terrorism." Well first I think, there might be, but when was the last time a respected Muslim religious leader on television, but then I think, well, where was the outcry from Pat Robertson about Rev. Phelps? I mean Robertson ran for President in the Republican party. You know he'll be seen with Bush as fundraisers in the south next year. Well Robertson and Phelps pretty much hold the same believes. After 9/11 Falwell declared the World Trade Center fell because God had lifted his veil of protection from the United States because, among other sins, we allowed homosexuality to be considered "okay." Robertson agreed. So does Phelps, why he came to NYC and his followers proudly showed their "Thank God for 9/11" posters.
I once told a friend I was worried about all the powers that had been granted Ashcroft under The unPatriotic Act. He said "don't worry, Aschroft is a good Christian." Okay but how do you define a good Christian? Is Phelps a good Christian (he's a Reverend)? Is Robertson a good Christian? Is Eric Rudolph a good Christian? A lot of people seem to think "yes."
That is why church and state should not meet. Religious definitions are too loose (what with the only true judge being... well... God). It'd rather have an Attorney General who was a good Attorney General, even if he/she was a pagan.
Sorry, what was the topic of this post again?
- rob 2:49 PM - [PermaLink] -
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