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To: MACVSOG68

Thanks for quoting that portion to make your point. Were I voting for Supreme Court justices, I would definitely favor those who acknowledge God as sovereign over those that do not. I think our freedoms are much safer that way. Elected officials that believe they are ultimately accountable to God will respect our freedoms and liberties, and also respect the law, much better.

But keep in mind that true Christian teaching (that is, what is consistent with the Bible) understands Christian belief is an individual thing. It is personal. It is anathema to the Christian to think that any government should force anyone to believe something. Everyone must come to Christ, seeking forgiveness of their sins and a new life, on his own.

That is one of the many differences between Christianity and Islam. Even in Islamic states that are not radically jihadist, Christians often are persecuted. There is no inner rebirth in Islam, no personal conversion. It is a religion of works, of physical acts of obedience. Therefore there is no real reason why they shouldn't use government to force this obedience. That is why democracy has such a hard time over there.


33 posted on 07/12/2005 6:47:19 AM PDT by Zack Nguyen
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To: Zack Nguyen
But keep in mind that true Christian teaching (that is, what is consistent with the Bible) understands Christian belief is an individual thing. It is personal. It is anathema to the Christian to think that any government should force anyone to believe something.

That is as it should be. But it is far from many in this nation who favor Christianity as an official religious philosophy. There are quite a few here on this forum who favor a theocracy here. I am referring both to Catholics as well as other Christians.

That is one of the many differences between Christianity and Islam. Even in Islamic states that are not radically jihadist, Christians often are persecuted. There is no inner rebirth in Islam, no personal conversion. It is a religion of works, of physical acts of obedience. Therefore there is no real reason why they shouldn't use government to force this obedience. That is why democracy has such a hard time over there.

I understand the differences you are painting between the two, and right now they are as you have said, but history shows how any religious ideology can move into the political spectrum if permitted. Just look at the Church of Rome in the Crusades, the Holy Roman Empire, France, Spain, the Inquisitions. Christianity is now and should be as you say a very personal thing. But the separation of Church and State philosophy was created to prevent the kinds of things that can happen when religious ideologues get in control.

The first step in that slippery slope is for religious tests of any kind for our justices or any other government official. Once you permit that, you are placing Christianity (or some other religion) in a policy-making position.

35 posted on 07/12/2005 7:04:36 AM PDT by MACVSOG68
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