The government, however, uses force constantly. That is the nature of the state. You are furious that I would insist on a moral standard by which to govern.
Yet even now our government follows a particular moral standard, one that in many ways comes from the Christian viewpoint of our founders. Murder, rape, kidnapping, thievery, persecution - we consider these things to be objective moral wrongs and we punish them. We believe (though less and less) that human beings have inherent dignity as created in the image of God. Not every nation does.
So you see that right away our government applies a particular moral standard and disregards others.
If I may be so bold, you would not want to live in a secular society. You would not wish for one if you understood what it entails. A secular society has no basis whatsoever for the dignity of man. Any rights a person has in a secular society are given them by the state. And all the lame discussions in the world by atheists about the "rights of man" does not change the fact that they have nothing to call upon higher than themselves. A secular society would end in tyranny, either by the state or by man. It always has and it always will.
I've accused you of nothing. I asked a question to which you apparently have no answer.
People will either believe in the Truth individually or they will not. It is up to each of us.
If they don't believe your "truth" then what?
How do you go about defining the limitations of human interaction?
You are furious that I would insist on a moral standard by which to govern.
I don't even know what your moral standard is so I'm hardly in a position to object to it.
Murder, rape, kidnapping, thievery, persecution - we consider these things to be objective moral wrongs and we punish them.
As we should. Those acts violate rights. But, we don't have Christianity to thank for enlightening us to that truth. Those acts were considered wrong long before Christianity existed.
If I may be so bold, you would not want to live in a secular society.
I'd like to live in a society that respects rights. The religious beliefs to which the people in that society adhere don't concern me, nor are they any business of mine.
A secular society has no basis whatsoever for the dignity of man.
Sure it does.
Any rights a person has in a secular society are given them by the state.
Why? Because you say so? I could argue the same is true for a theistic society. But, that really doesn't get us anywhere. It doesn't define the limitations of human interaction. Nor does it define the purpose of government.
And all the lame discussions in the world by atheists about the "rights of man" does not change the fact that they have nothing to call upon higher than themselves.
Suppose people have different theistic beliefs, or atheistic beliefs. How do people go about defining the limitations of human interaction?
A secular society would end in tyranny, either by the state or by man. It always has and it always will.
Since the dawn of man no society which advances religion via the force of government has ever produced freedom and prosperity. They've all ended in tyranny. There has been mass torture and murder of millions at the hands of religious fanatics for millenia. To what do you attribute that? Were they practicing the wrong religion?
Perhaps it was just a fundamental disregard for rights.