vandement's Profile
Age: 34
My Comments
Romney repeated the standard attacks on "secularism." What is scary to me is that this conflict between secularism and religion is false, and that many Americans of faith don't understand that secularism actually PROTECTS religion. The two are not even analogous to each other--secularism is a mode of public discourse in our system. Religion is not, if we want to remain a pluralistic republic. I always want to ask Christian fundamentalists, "Oh, so you want prayer in schools? Okay--what kind of prayer? What, you mean you don't want to kneel and face Mecca five times a day?
The religious wars in Europe that led to the concept of the separation of church and state were not between secularism and religion--they were between Catholics and Protestants, Puritans and Anglicans, etc., etc., etc. Religious folks should count their lucky stars (or rather, God) that secularism exists as a concept--without it, religion cannot thrive. Without it, the guns start coming out.
Romney repeated the standard attacks on "secularism." What is scary to me is that this conflict between secularism and religion is false, and that many Americans of faith don't understand that secularism actually PROTECTS religion. The two are not even analogous to each other--secularism is a mode of public discourse in our system. Religion is not, if we want to remain a pluralistic republic. I always want to ask Christian fundamentalists, "Oh, so you want prayer in schools? Okay--what kind of prayer? What, you mean you don't want to kneel and face Mecca five times a day?
The religious wars in Europe that led to the concept of the separation of church and state were not between secularism and religion--they were between Catholics and Protestants, Puritans and Anglicans, etc., etc., etc. Religious folks should count their lucky stars (or rather, God) that secularism exists as a concept--without it, religion cannot thrive. Without it, the guns start coming out.
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Romney repeated the standard attacks on "secularism." What is scary to me is that this conflict between secularism and religion is false, and that many Americans of faith don't understand that secularism actually PROTECTS religion. The two are not even analogous to each other--secularism is a mode of public discourse in our system. Religion is not, if we want to remain a pluralistic republic. I always want to ask Christian fundamentalists, "Oh, so you want prayer in schools? Okay--what kind of prayer? What, you mean you don't want to kneel and face Mecca five times a day?
The religious wars in Europe that led to the concept of the separation of church and state were not between secularism and religion--they were between Catholics and Protestants, Puritans and Anglicans, etc., etc., etc. Religious folks should count their lucky stars (or rather, God) that secularism exists as a concept--without it, religion cannot thrive. Without it, the guns start coming out.