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Cincinnati did not have gentleman's clubs or anything more risque than Penthouse Forum because of the catholics, namely the citizens concerned for community values, Art Ney and Simon Leis.
Which Baptists? In my town alone there are 3-4 varieties of Baptist church. We don't have a single authority other than God telling us what to do.
But yes, we do vote, and we do get to have a say in what our towns make legal or illegal. Sometimes, that goes against what the atheist or pagan crowd wants.
So I should ask...who gets to decide, if not the voters?
It's interesting that this "Separation of church and state" you speak of is a mental construct in the minds of liberals. It does not exist in the Constitution. It's also interesting that most liberals that I personally know have very little use for the Constitution, but they sure can quote the idea of this "Separation" when they want to try to win an argument.
Again...we are voters. Why are atheists and pagans so political and why do they, unlike other people, feel they should impose their morality, or lack thereof, on society at large, and that it's right to control the culture?
Although the words "separation of church and state" aren't in the Constitution per se, the Supreme Court, which interprets what the Constitution says (as it is a living and breathing document), has maintained that there is a separation of church and state in its ruling in Everson v. Board of Education: "The First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach."
Also, even though the word "abortion" is not in the Constitution, the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade established a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion.
In 2015, in the case Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled that laws against same sex marriage were unconstitutional, although the word "marriage" is not found in the Constititution.
It appears to me that the so-called atheists and pagans aren't the ones imposing their morality or lack thereof on society at large, nor are they controlling the culture. What is law has been ruled law by the Supreme Court and not the church.
I don't know why people who subscribe to liberal politics want to tell the rest of us that Jesus and the Bible implies social justice from their perspective. It shows that both sides of religion want to be politically active when it best suits their ideology. Note: I'm a middle-of-the-road libertarian, not quite politically active about my religion in either direction and I was raised a Catholic but no longer practice.
Jesus did say feed the poor, take care of the needy, help the downtrodden, don't judge others, etc. I didn't realize these were liberal vs. non-liberal constructs. Sounds like Jesus was an advocate for social justice to me.
Jesus did say feed the poor, take care of the needy, help the downtrodden, don't judge others, etc. I didn't realize these were liberal vs. non-liberal constructs. Sounds like Jesus was an advocate for social justice to me.
Then, there's a difference between advocating regular citizens doing these things and wanting the government to force you to do it. What's going on here is that the left is pointing out the right's debate points to use against them, and I don't think it's necessarily the right valid way to win any argument.
Then, there's a difference between advocating regular citizens doing these things and wanting the government to force you to do it. What's going on here is that the left is pointing out the right's debate points to use against them, and I don't think it's necessarily the right valid way to win any argument.
I'm sure regular citizens do step in, but sometimes the government has to step in too. During biblical times tithes were used as a sort of tax, as a way to take care of people, but unfortunately, many of the churches today are too busy building their own kingdoms, IMO.
Baptists are mostly high school educated, while Episcopal, Hindu, and Buddhists are actually better educated than so called "free-thinking Atheists."
So it should come as no surprise that most of their belief system involves believing the "right" things without understanding or questioning why they are right.
Baptists are mostly high school educated, while Episcopal, Hindu, and Buddhists are actually better educated than so called "free-thinking Atheists."
So it should come as no surprise that most of their belief system involves believing the "right" things without understanding or questioning why they are right.
The lower the intelligence and/or educational level, the more fundamentalist the belief system.
Fundamentalism is dumbed-down belief that can be memorized and regurgitated in easily-digested/vomited form.
I'm sure regular citizens do step in, but sometimes the government has to step in too. During biblical times tithes were used as a sort of tax, as a way to take care of people, but unfortunately, many of the churches today are too busy building their own kingdoms, IMO.
There still remains the difference between a believer's voluntary actions and a believer hiring an armed agent to make others follow his path.
There still remains the difference between a believer's voluntary actions and a believer hiring an armed agent to make others follow his path.
I actually do believe that governments sometimes can provide good services to it's people. I do have my boundaries for wanting to reforming or cutting the size of the state. Besides though...
What you said was the point I was trying to make also. I just think some government services are better off as a service of "last resort" than others.
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