Quote:
Originally Posted by EnderD_503
I know what I've mentioned above doesn't seem relevant,
|
Everything you said is so incredibly relevant. And I don't see much chance for change as long as people are persecuted to be religious.
As Toughy mentioned people are afraid to admit they are not a Christian. I will take it one important step further. People are afraid to admit it if they are not particularly moved by claims of religious or spiritual beliefs.
Personally I don't care what any politician thinks about the existence of god. I am no more moved to believe in the truth of their words if they say "so help me god" or if they say "pinky swear".
I am not inclined to believe in the best intentions and inherent goodness of someone simply because they profess to belief in god. It is this connection between goodness and morality and a belief in the existence of a creator of the universe that is most disturbing.
It's like many of us actually believe religious people are the keepers of morality. Those of us who either don't believe in any god or question the existence of god are of dubious moral fiber.
Those who use religion as a weapon bogart the term moral and conflat it with religious. And we let them by failing to shove their immoral behavior in their faces at every possible opportunity.
I know until recently I cringed when I heard the terms moral, ethical or morality being used. Immediately I thought judgmental, religious, nothing I can identify with. I realize I was wrong. I am a moral person. I have ethics. I believe in doing what is right. I don't have to believe in god to do that. I don't have to have religion to be that.
If you claim moral as your anthem. If you rub morality in the faces of everyone, then you have an obligation to be moral. You should be held accountable for your claims of moral righteousness. So I think we should do that more often. Hold our elected and our aspiring to be elected officials accountable. It is not moral to spend the time of congress and the house voting on a motto of in god we trust when unemployment is out of control and people are hurting. It is not moral to allow the 1% of the population who has 99% of the wealth to buy your vote. It is not moral to sell out the constituency who voted you in office. It is immoral to sell yourself to the rich and vote policy that continues to place a disproportionate amount of wealth in the hands of so very few at the expense of the health and welfare of the rest. Not to mention at the expense of the very country you claim to hold so dear. I don't need a god to know that is wrong.