Old time religion fine, but keep it, government apart

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By Tom Burke / Herald columnist

Religion is a flash-point subject, especially on the opinion page. And amid all the issues facing us today — 839,000 U.S. covid deaths, masks, the Big Lie, vaccines, boosters, anti-vaxxers, gas prices, testing, the environment, inflation, voting rights, voter suppression, Build Back Better, the state legislative session, immigration, gun rights, cancel culture, reproductive rights, Trump’s problems in Georgia, New York, and Washington, D.C., Congress’ Jan. 6 committee, climate change, distance learning, school closures, domestic terrorism, the Supreme Court, the mid-terms, canceled flights, the filibuster, systemic racism, police reform, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, China, Putin, North Korea, redistricting, Big Tech, interest rates, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes/drought, homelessness, and the Big One — you might ask: “Why a column on religion?”

Because religion is playing a huge, but mostly under-reported, role in how we confront these issues; especially as white Protestant evangelicals align themselves with Trumpist Republicanism (81 percent of evangelicals voted for Trump in 2020.); and Trumpist Republicans have a specific anti-democratic agenda.

It’s no secret the fundamental ideology of the Christian right, often called “Christian Dominionism,” is to replace secular government, and the U.S. Constitution, with a system based in Old Testament law via a claimed biblical mandate to control all earthly institutions.

A noble aim? Perhaps; if you believe Christ was the son of God (only 30 percent of world population is Christian). If you don’t, then living in such a “Christian” nation is problematical, just as living under sharia or Talmudic law or in any theocracy would be for “non-believers.”

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/burke-old-time-religion-fine-but-keep-it-government-apart/

[shrike3]

1. Works for me.

I go to church every Sunday. Others go to Temple. Or the mosque. Many would never set foot in a place of worship. If we want to be a government of the people, for the people, we have to keep religion out of it, because it's the last thing everybody agrees on.

Keep worship private. Keep government secular. It shouldn't be hard.

[spike jones]

2. Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
One way to establish something is to finance it. Making laws that exempt churches from tax is like putting money in their bank account. That seems to be unconstitutional, but it does give every taxpayer the right to have a voice in how the churches are operated.
Tax the church.

[twodogsbarking]

3. How do you unscramble eggs?