This is not said often enough - and is not properly understood by many.
Freedom of
religion and the separation of Church and State are among the basic
cornerstones of America, American values and American “philosophy”. Every American has the right to worship and
believe as he or she so chooses – or to choose not to worship or believe. The government cannot force anyone to choose
one religion and set of beliefs over any other, or to choose any religion
or beliefs. No specific religion or
church can dictate government policy or legislation.
There is no
official “American” religion or church. America
is not a “Christian” country.
While
religious beliefs may motivate involvement in politics as a practice of good
citizenship, and the religious can preach the gospel, or their version or
interpretation of the gospel, to those who will listen, the specific
religious beliefs of a specific religious sect or religion must never be the
basis of legislation, and the religious cannot force those of different
beliefs, or no beliefs, to live their lives according to the specific
individual beliefs and rules of their specific religion or religious sect.
All law in
America is based on the Constitution and civil law - and is not, and must
NEVER be, based on specific religious law.
Murder is
not illegal because God said, “Thou shalt not kill”. Murder is illegal because life is protected
under the Constitution and under civil law.
If the
specific religious beliefs of your chosen sect or religion tells you that
abortion is wrong – don’t have an abortion.
If the specific religious beliefs of your chosen sect or religion tells
you that homosexuality and same-sex marriage is wrong – don’t practice
homosexuality and do not marry someone of the same sex. But you cannot force someone with
different religions beliefs, or no religious beliefs, to act in accordance with
the specific religious beliefs of your chosen sect or religion, and most
definitely not via legislation.
Many people
mistakenly identify those who want to legislate the specific religious beliefs
of fundamental Christianity as being “conservative” and identify legislating these
specific religious beliefs as being a component of conservative political
philosophy. Nothing could be further
than the truth.
The basic
fundamental tenet of conservative political philosophy is limited government,
and the protection and maximizing individual rights. True conservatives believe that the
government should have minimal involvement in the personal and business life of
the individual. The so-called
“evangelicals” of the “Christian right” wants the government to tell
individuals how to live their lives – in direct contradiction to true conservative
philosophy.
Unlike
“love and marriage”, politics and religion NEVER go together!