How long before America becomes a Theocracy?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Wildkow @ Sep 5 2007, 04:37 AM) [snapback]507234[/snapback]</div>

Kow, I gather from your tone that you're opposed to the idea of theocracy. As someone who endorses religious belief, why would theocracy be something to avoid rather than work toward? I ask the question without cynicism: it strikes me as contradictory that, if someone regards religion as a vital, significant and beneficial dimension of social life, that one would refrain from writing such benefits into law in order to assure their wider dissemination, just as we have written the wide dissemination of civil liberties and compulsory primary education into law.

As to whether the USA or the world itself ever become a theocracy, I think the accelerating trend of humanity to make itself literate and educated decreases that likelihood to insignificance. The inverse correlation between education and religious belief is well established, and while there are certainly examples of highly educated believers and uneducated non-believers, they are in the fringe percentiles. Thus the general global trend is away from theocracy rather than toward it.

Mark Baird
Alameda CA

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(airportkid @ Sep 5 2007, 09:56 AM) [snapback]507295[/snapback]</div>

I thought "we" had written into the law the guarantee of the freedom not only to hold religious beliefs, but also to express them. It seems to me this is a critical civil liberty, No?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(airportkid @ Sep 5 2007, 09:56 AM) [snapback]507295[/snapback]</div>

I don't know the basis for all of these statements, but I'd be curious to see who conducted the research leading to these conclusions. I wish I could believe there is an accelerating trend toward literacy and education. Instead, I think I see an increasing separation between some societies that encourage higher education and those who don't have enough resources even to house and feed their own, much less provide incentives to increase literacy and education.

Further, I wonder about the "well established" "inverse correlation between education and religious belief." In many cities, the preferred and higher quality schools are run by religious orders. Most of the great colleges and universities were started by people motivated by their religious beliefs.

Inquiring minds (Wildkow) truly do want to know, and they don't dismiss searches for truth, regardless of whether the searches are conducted by the eductated or uneducated. I don't mean to offend with these responses, but I am just puzzled by the course of statements that leads to the finding that "the general global trend is away from theocracy rather than toward it." When I look around the world, I become more and more concerned about the growing number of theocracies in Asia and the Middle East. With all sincererity, I pray that we will not see a theocracy in the West, much less a one-world government run as a theocracy.

 

The UN is a start at some form of world government, but certain regional governments seemingly refuse to acknowledge their authority and collective wisdom....

Not that a theocracy would ever happen, but chances are excellent it would be neither Christian nor American. Will you sleep better now, Kow?

If God really were omnipotent, wouldn't we already have a theocracy?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(a priori @ Sep 5 2007, 11:12 AM) [snapback]507309[/snapback]</div>

Anything written into law can be written out of it. Our constitution has a built-in amendment process.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(airportkid @ Sep 5 2007, 09:56 AM) [snapback]507295[/snapback]</div>

For Christianity at least, the key is to accept the faith of your own free will, not to be forced into it through law or other coercion. Coerced faith is not legitmate, as you are not accepting it on your own. Writing the beliefs of Christianity into law is coercing belief.

 

I think Kow is trying to bait out Burritos for another religious grudge match. There should just be a forum for those two to yell at each other about religion.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Darwood @ Sep 5 2007, 01:14 PM) [snapback]507374[/snapback]</div>

One where we tie their left hands together, and give them each a blunt instrument for the other hand. It could be fun to watch (or not).

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Sep 5 2007, 01:17 PM) [snapback]507375[/snapback]</div>

OR, maybe one by one the whole world will recall the Amish, who showed us a better way-- forgive your enemy instead of trying to kill them or have them killed. Would that still be called a theocracy if the whole world voluntarily turned Amish?

PA P

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(PA Prius @ Sep 5 2007, 10:33 AM) [snapback]507390[/snapback]</div>

Yep.

We would do well to learn from the Amish; their way of life and philosophy have much that is attractive. But to me everything that is most valuable about their way of life and philosophy has nothing to do with religion, doesn't depend on religion, nor needs religion, but instead can be founded on sheer decency for decency's sake alone. What's so hard about being nice to other people for its own sake?

The Amish have rituals and restrictions that are 100% religious that I would personally find objectionable and arbitrary, so an Amish theocracy, while quite possibly an enormous improvement over much of what passes for "civilized" government now, would still be something I would resist, insofar as it compelled any kind of religious observances.

Mark Baird
Alameda CA

 

Religion is the opium of the people

Not sure if a religion will dominate or a theocracy based on a current religion but I am fan of movies and books that explore an almighty government system that is endorsed, proliferated and accepted as IF it was a religion (V for Vendetta, Children of Men, heck even C of Riddick)

I can see that with a mixture of a large corporation's interest thrown in

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lywyllyn @ Sep 5 2007, 02:21 PM) [snapback]507417[/snapback]</div>

If I were God, I'd abolish all religions.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(qbee42 @ Sep 5 2007, 12:05 PM) [snapback]507443[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, well that was tried already. Problem was Noah was spared. should have drowned the lot, and kept the place wet instead of drying parts of it out. So far as is known, this is little evidence that marine life has ever worshipped the incorrect deity, either by accident or on purpose.

MB

 

The above resembles today's Prickly City cartoon
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/..._uc/prc20070905

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(airportkid @ Sep 5 2007, 03:17 PM) [snapback]507451[/snapback]</div>

You might want to replace that stagger wing with a Lake Amphibian if we're going to keep the place wet.

Tom

 

Well, considering that nobody can agree on anything, a global theocracy seems quite impossible. Every religion that I can think of is splintered into camps. In most cases those camps disagree with each other and often quite violently. So I just don't see it happening... ever. What would be more likely is lots of theocracies that incite violence and destruction against each other. We've seen that before. Hopefully, we won't see it again.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tripp @ 2007 09 05 19:51) [snapback]507731[/snapback]</div>

And aren't we seeing that now?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hyo silver @ Sep 5 2007, 11:32 PM) [snapback]507803[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, more or less. At least the Europeans are out of the business for the time being.