Posted on 02/12/2006 6:02:30 AM PST by oblomov
I find myself wondering why the ruling classes of America are so grindingly antagonistic to religion. I understand having no interest in religion. I do not understand the animosity.
One might say, “The world’s religions are so many, so internally inconsistent and contradictory of each other, and so dependent on assertions which seem to me not to be factual, that I cannot believe any of them.” The position is neither unreasonable nor rabid. One holding it might go about his affairs, leaving others to believe as they chose. He might respect the faith of others without sharing it, might regard religions as harmless and colorful folklore, might indeed regard them as socially beneficent.
In the Unites States, though, we see something very different: an aggressive hostility to religion, a desire to extirpate it and, though no one quite says this, to punish its practitioners. A curious witch-hunt continues in which people seem to look for any trace of religion so that they can root it out. I would call it vengeful, except that I do not know for what it might be revenge.
Why? The explanations given do not make sense. A store whose sign says “Merry Christmas” is a threat to nothing, just as a nativity scene can offend only one who is looking very hard for something to offend him. The stridency of the evolutionists seems overblown, since a mention of the theory of intelligent design in the high schools would hardly lead to the closing of departments of biochemistry.
The notion that the Ten Commandments on the wall of a courthouse will lead to an established religion is palpable nonsense. Constitutional piety doesn’t wash either. If nativity scenes contravene the Constitution, why was this not noticed by anyone, assuredly including the authors, until at least 1950?
(Excerpt) Read more at fredoneverything.net ...
Good article.
Liberals don't want us saying "Merry Christmas" in public.
But I still do.
Merry Christmas (2006). The first one of the year.
Count me as someone who believes that what's behind the recent wave of anti-religious sentiment is much older and much darker than Americans are willing to believe.
Unless Christians, Jews, Muslims, Wiccans, Buddhists, et. al. wake up and unite against our Ancient Enemy, we're all up the creek without the proverbial paddle.
Perhaps when someone wanders by and attempts to put your son in a Madrasas and you daughter in Burka such concerns will make it will make more sense to you.
As the 20th century slaughters undertaken by the various “secular religions” demonstrate “Reason” is certainly in imperfect guide to human conduct, bur at least it’s ultimately subject to pragmatic review.
But if someone: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu – whatever – insists that their view is entitled to a voice in setting public policy on the basis of their understanding of “God’s Will”, once you have admitted any such point of view you have no rational reason to give any less weight to another.
What "ruling class?" is that. We have a President who is openly Christian. We have a Congress made up, in the Majority, of Christians.
There are dozens of churches in every town and city, with nobody trying to close them down. Some of these have congregations numbering in the thousands.
I'm sorry, but Christianity is doing just fine in the USA.
The answer to his question is obvious. Many people who are not religious nonetheless hate religion and religious believers, because they can't stand the idea that anyone is judging them by any standard outside themselves.
Fred does seem to think about everything. The problem is that his thinking is so shallow on every subject.
bump
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