| |
| |
|
Religion Information |
|
|
|
Why Christian and Atheist Libertarians Get Along
I'm the most religious guy in the Libertarian Party. At least that's what my friend, Charlie, decided. I don't know if his bit of insight was meant to be a compliment or a mere observation. Either way, I suppose there are others more deserving. For his part, Charlie is a declared atheist. And, therein lays a dilemma for some libertarians. How can I - a certified, card-carrying Bible thumper - stand shoulder to shoulder with a guy who's never thumped a Bible in his life? In spite of ourselves One may assume there is a détente in which the discussion of religion is avoided like a trip to the dentist. One would be wrong. I find few things more intellectually stimulating than a lively spat with a well-informed atheist - particularly when feeble attempts are made to defend the untenable; eg, evolution. Or, one may assume there is a level of irreconcilable toleration. Not so. Some of the best Christians I know are atheists. By that, I mean, atheists usually surpass Christians in areas such as morality, decency and human kindness. I don't tolerate these people. I like them. I enjoy their company. I'd rather hang out with a crowd of honest atheists than a church full of back-stabbing Baptists any day of the week, including Sunday. So why do libertarian Christians and atheists get along? Exclusion doesn't work The answer can be found in the word, "inclusion." Think about it. When Protestants control a government - say Northern Ireland, for example - Catholics and other non-Protestants have a tough way to go. And when Catholics take charge - as in Ireland - Protestants find themselves on the outside looking in. Come to think of it, when any religious group takes control, all others face dire consequences. Consider the history of England. Bloody Mary had at least 275 Protestants burned at the stake (including the Archbishop of Canterbury) during her brief five-year term as Queen of England. A century later, Protestant Elizabeth I was executing Catholics. For their part, Muslims have a history of killing both Protestants and Catholics, not to mention Jews. Life, some think, would be simpler - if not safer - if no religious sect controlled government. Let's put atheists in charge, they say. That would end sectarian bloodletting. The inherent problem with atheists at the helm of government can be seen by recounting life under the rule of French atheist Maximilien Robespierre. More than a century after Queen Elizabeth executed Catholics, and 200 years after Bloody Mary was being bloody, Robespierre was sending thousands to the guillotine. The atheistic government of Joseph Stalin killed millions and Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge slaughtered hundreds of thousands. Protestants, Catholics, Muslims and atheists have one thing in common: When any sectarian group controls government, people die. Yet that was the norm of world history until the 17th century. A place at the table Perhaps the most momentous day in American history was February 5, 1631 when a free-thinking British preacher named Roger Williams alit from a ship in Boston's harbor.Williams purchased land from the Indians and founded a community that became Rhode Island. Unlike the other colonies, Rhode Island separated civil and ecclesiastical governments. No sect would control government. Rather, all would have a place at the table. Williams' philosophy of religious liberty was perceived to be an invitation to disaster. But the anticipated quarreling among the sects never materialized. In fact, the arrangement resulted in religious harmony. No religious institution felt threatened by any other, for all were free to believe (or not believe) as they pleased. There was no reason to burn your neighbors at the stake for having too many holes in their sleeves. And that takes us back to the original question. Why do Libertarians - Christians, atheists and other sectarians - manage to get along? The answer is simple. Like Williams, we understand the principle of inclusion. Everyone has a place at the table.And so, I can relish the thought of being the most religious guy in the Libertarian Party without fear of Charlie sending me to the gulag. Erstwhile, my Christian friends will continue to call me the most libertarian guy in the Baptist church. ### Read Kenn's quotes at KennGividen.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Here's Help for the "I Can't Say 'No' Blues" I hear it all the time. Cries from Christian women who want desperately to serve the Lord, but who feel overwhelmed. Learn How to Be Delivered From Witchcraft, Drugs, Sexual Perversion, Pain and all Addictions. Exposing Hidden SinFor nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. (Luke 8:17). Why More Priests Need To Train As Fighters (And Why We Dont See Many Boxers In Church) "Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Knowing Hinduism or Hindu Religion Hindus are concentrated in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and these places have been the hot spot of this culture since time immemorial. Unlike other religions, Hinduism does not recognize a single prophet and has multitude of gods and goddesses, mythologically numbering at around 30 millions! Such a figure is given in mythology by people of wisdom who have included all such perceptible forms as things of worship, so that man can see god in them and respect the existence of such all forms (plant, animal, stone, sky, stars, soil, water, rain, fellow human being, etc. The Tsunami: A Wake-up Call In looking back on the year that has just ended-a year filled with the horrors of war and of natural disasters such as last fall's hurricanes-one would have to be callous not to mention the earthquake and tsunamis. The devastation seems to get worse every hour as new reports, images, and statistics come in. DNA RNA are you ready for what is next? As the human race maps out the genome and unlocks all the secrets of DNA, RNA, proteins and enzymes you will find unlimited possibilities and immortality. Transhumanism will mix the best organic and silicon futures. The Exodus And the matter of who is doing the abusing is the most important thing we as a world full of equal people must ascertain. Who are the Benjaminites who were thrown out of Israel and later returned under Judas Maccabee? Who are these mercenaries who protected Egypt from the Elephantine stronghold?To be sure there are many perspectives on the history of Israel and the Jews. Do You Know What It Takes To Crucify The Flesh? The flesh is the part of us that resists ourtransformation into the new person in Christ.And since this is the case the devil wants to use thepleasures of our flesh to keep us enslaved to our oldhabits and sinful attitudes. Gods Favorite Religion What does your church teach regarding the subject of Widows and Orphans? If we were all being honest, most of us rarely give the matter a second thought. If your ministry, company, or even your civic group is struggling, or you're lacking contentment in your own spiritual life, here's a tip that's guaranteed to send any lackluster routine into hyperspace. Living By the Truth, the Word of God Let's be honest: Too many Christian books are nothing but fluff or teach a viewpoint that is borderline contradictory of what the Bible actually teaches. Christian publishing appears, to this reviewer at least, to be focused too much on marketing and profits, and not nearly enough on solid teaching for building up the church. What Is The Most Important Righteous Requirement Of Gods Law? To live "under the law" is to live under theexpectation of fulfilling God's moral standardsthrough one's own human ability. However, rather thanexperiencing the joy of a clean conscience, wesometimes feel enslaved to legalism and guilt. Fall of a Nation Jeremiah 51:6-51:18Babylon is Fallen. Is the United States, Spiritual Babylon?Jer. Are You Doing the Good Part? Just compare yourself to these two sisters.Even though they were sisters, Martha and Mary, acted very differently than each other one day when Jesus was with them. Spiritual Healing or Spiritual Malpractice? Christians with chronic illness need to know there is a source for healing beyond secular medicine that does not follow the pattern or knowledge of this world. That source is spiritual and comes from God! But there is a problem. The Power of Stories and Testimonies As I am sure you all can tell by now, I am a big believer in sharing with you stories and testimonies of God supernaturally showing Himself in any way, shape or form. I believe that these God-stories are extremely powerful and they all help us to continue to build our faith up in the power of God and the fact that He does want to become very active in our lives if we are open to allowing Him to come in. Life as Simulator Recently I met an interesting Gentleman at a Coffee Shop, Robert V. Ries, was his name. A Commonsense Guide to Exorcism Bloodshot eyes stared at the crucifix six inches from his nose. Leather restraints lined with lamb's wool fastened his arms and legs to the chair. Truth, Justice and the American Way to Boil a Frog Using a good tool over and over doesn't make it any less valuable it only proves its usefulness. That said; let's review the old boiling frog story one more time. The Rapture Here is the 50 million dollar question - will there be a Rapture of God's saints before the Tribulation, or will all of God's people living at that time have to go through the Tribulation and possibly be martyred for their faith?I'm going to go ahead and give you the main Scripture verses dealing with the possibility of a Rapture. There is divided opinion in the Body of Christ as to whether or not there is going to be a rapture. Top Ten Religion Quotations Review your religious beliefs with these revealing quotations all about religion..
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
