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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 16363
[Politics]
Date Posted:
10/16/2006
9:54:32 am EDT
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Views: 9,648
RSS: 20,351
Comments: 13
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A Church Of The State?
Author: Johnny Gunn Source: Nevada Observer (NV)
Title: A CHURCH OF THE STATE?
There have been conservatives and liberals in all our political parties virtually from the beginning of the Union, and in some instances, a party is even described as being conservative or liberal, but things, they are a-changing, across our broad land. Now, from the left, or liberal political parties are the terms humanist and centrist. Within the more conservative or right side of the political spectrum is a separation of conservatives into fiscal conservative and religious right.
Discussion and debate are the foundations of politics, and parties are formed by these philosophical thoughts, bringing people of like minds together to present their particular agendas to the body politic as a whole; the citizens of the country. Often, at least in theory, these discussions and thoughts are focused on particular candidates or issues, and we vote as a body for one or the other, may the best thought win.
I said theory because this process is sublimated rather easily by vast train loads of currency, and so, the idea of debates of merit sometimes doesn’t happen, and purchases in the media are the closest we get to an understanding of a candidate.
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Community Thoughts: There are 13 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Theocratic Parties | Oct 17th. at 7:42:39 am EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
It's easier for Republicans to "win" arguments, majority power, Teflon coating, debates, funds, personal fortunes, and elections if they align themselves with Christianity and never mind that there is no "the" church.
Nationally, Democrat politicians have increasingly sprinkled their rhetoric with "God Bless" too.
Meanwhile, sectarian violence rages in theocracies overseas [Web LINK] -- that's us in the next x number of years if we don't stop aligning politics/parties with "a” religion and "its" values. The bombing of abortion clinics was foreshadowing.
My mom is Republican and doesn't see what's happening to the party and why it's so wrong. In a separate conversation, she actually pointed out that we are "a Christian Nation." She's a retired language teacher.
Americans should be able to name and understand the difference between majority vote and majoritarian tyranny or state/party religion. It's rare for people to even be able to name such things.
As if to punctuate that, I was painting my porch a couple of days ago, when I was approached regarding the vote on a Wisconsin marriage amendment in Nov., even though civil rights and state religion are two things that should not be decided by majority vote.
Typically, the WI Republicans want this amendment, and the Democrats presented unanimous opposition. [Web LINK]
The amendment is based on yanking people's religious values chains and Republicans want to have and keep a majority, even if it means having fewer rights than in tihe 150 years of our state constitution. [Web LINK]
Crypto- or actual theocracy sucks, even if it is based on democracy.
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| In The Words Of Former President George Washington | Oct 17th. at 2:06:14 am EDT
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J & V Enterprises (Sweetwater, Tennessee) - Email Me
The problems with political parties were best expressed by the first President of this nation. George Washington wrote a letter that has been quoted as his farewell address to the nation. The following is quoted directly from the original text.
In contemplating the causes which may disturb our union, it occurs as a matter of serious concern, that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by geographical discriminations: Northern and Southern; Atlantic and Western; whence designing men may endeavor to excite a belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views. One of the expedients of party to acquire influence, within particular districts, is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heart burnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection.
To the efficacy and permanency of your union, a Government for the whole is indispensable. No alliances however strict between the parts can be an adequate substitute. They must inevitably experience the infractions and interruptions which all alliances in all times have experienced. Sensible of this momentous truth, you have improved upon your first essay, by the adoption of a Constitution of Government, better calculated than your former for an intimate union, and for the efficacious management of your common concerns. This Government, the offspring of your own choice uninfluenced and unawed, adopted upon full investigation and mature deliberation, completely free in its principles, in the distribution of its powers, uniting security with energy, and containing within itself a provision for its own amendment, has a just claim to your confidence and your support. Respect for its authority, compliance with its laws, acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true liberty. The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the constitution which at any time exists till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government.
Toward the preservation of your government and the permanency of your present happy state, it is requisite not only that you steadily discountenance irregular oppositions to its acknowledged authority, but also that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts. One method of assault may be to effect in the forms of the Constitution alterations which will impair the energy of the system, and thus to undermine what cannot be directly overthrown. In all the changes to which you may be invited remember that time and habit are at least as necessary to fix the true character of governments as of other human institutions; that experience is the surest standard by which to test the real tendency of the existing constitution of a country; that facility in changes upon the crdit of mere hypothesis and opinion exposes to perpetual change, from the endless variety of hypothesis and opinion; and remember especially that for the efficient management of your common interests in a country so extensive as ours a government of as much vigor as is consistent with the perfect security of liberty is indispensable. Liberty itself will find in such a government, with powers properly distributed and adjusted, its surest guardian. It is, indeed, little else than a name where the government is too feeble to withstand the enterprises of faction, to confine each member of the society within the limits prescribed by the laws, and to maintain all in the secure and tranquil enjoyment of the rights of person and property.
I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but in those of the popular form it is seen in its greatest rankness and is truly their worst enemy.
It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with illfounded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another; foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passion. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.
There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchial cast patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose; and there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.
It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those intrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism.
If in the opinion of the people the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this in one instance may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit which the use can at any time yield.
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| Don't Vote Suicide | Oct 17th. at 12:43:21 am EDT
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Ben'elat (Helensburgh, New South Wales) - Email Me
Beats me how pagans can vote for theocratic parties even those pagans who personally espose conservative views. Remember the old adage "You don't vote for the person you want in government, you vote for the person who'll do you the least harm."
We have a similar situation here in Australia, where the theocratic right has largely captured the Liberal Party (which is our conservative party since outside the US 'liberal' means almost the opposite of contemporarty US usage see [Web LINK] ) . Unfortunately we don't enjoy the same religious protections you do under the 1st amendment. While our Constitution does mimick the wording of your 1st amendment in s118 (see [Web LINK] ) , this section has never been intepreted so stictly here, meaning that the government gets away with freely fund private religious bodies.
Our universities have traditionally been government funded rather than private bodies, but last budget, for the first time ever, the federal govt. gave more funding to private schools than to universities. As a result little fundy religious schools are sprouting up like mushrooms all over the country side.
In 'privatising' (de-socialising) previously government run welfare bodies, the federal government has mainly chosen to devolve those powers to the churches, most prominently the Assemblies of God church. Additionally they directly fund this church which is a good source of conservative votes.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (a government funded but independant corporation modelled on the BBC) is having the board stacked with those sympathetic to the theocratic right and there is even talk of censoring "contentious" issues in science broadcasting like Global Warming or Evolution, all under the guise of eliminating "left-wing bias" from the ABC.
So folks this power play by the theocratic right isn't restricted to the US alone unfortunately. I wish I could be sanguine enough to conclude that they won't be successful, but I'm not sure head-in-the-sandism or stubbornly believing that our tradtional political parties still represent the ideals we believe them to have. As pagans we must seriously consider voting for those who will do us the least harm!
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| Their Idea Of Church Over State | Oct 16th. at 6:14:17 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
The problem with the Fundies is that they don't really want Church and State. They want the Church to BE the State. They may decide to allow politicians and judges, but only to be puppets for the pulpit to enforce "proper" legislation. They may allow science, but only as long as it conforms to accepted biblical teaching. the love of money stems from the Puritan ethic. If you are good and work hard, you will be rich because god will reward you. They view the poor as failures, no matter the circumstances, and prefer they didn't exist at all, but don't mind using them as exploitable, disposable labor to see to their own wealth. After all, slavery is allowed in the bible. And like the Catholic church of old- are not above lying to these poor workers- promising a better afterlife while exhorting them to accept their lowly conditions in this one- and not make waves- or dare to agitate for better conditions. And as for women, they may allow them souls- but little else, as most sects, just like the Islamics believe that we are little more than servants and baby machines, suitable for cranking out suitable cannon fodder for the wars of conversion they'll need to lauch against those they find don't agree with them. They may understand the Islamics- but only as rivals for power. One thing is certain. whether xtian or Islamic- the conditions are exactly the same. And if the two should go to war as they would like, it would only be one tyrant against another. Our only hope for freedom would be in their mutual extermination of each other. However, considering this century's weapons brought into play-those still alive would have very little to cheer about- possibly for centuries. After all, neither side would care about the world they would actively destroy in the hopes of gaining a shiny new one after it's all done.
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| New Book | Oct 16th. at 3:01:24 pm EDT
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
Some fellow was being interveiwed, on Public TV, as publishing a book, requesting a moratorium on Religious Politics. For all the support the White House has been requesting, he hasn't been very respectful of the Fundamentalist Leadership.
Robert Heinlein could have told him that.
Was it Mike Brown, that had the FEMA Office with the little red Crucifices? That's what destroyed his carreer. Politicians don't care if you sacrifice little boys to Chthulhu, as long as you make them look good, while they're sacrificing Virgins to Hitler.
All Politics is based on Religion, that's where we got the Anunaki, and this country was founded in accordance with The Brethren of Mythras and The Friends of the Light, but Religion is about your Self, with respect to Eternity and Involvement, with only a possible regard for God, Community and Integrity; Religion should Lead, rather than Follow or Push.
Walk with Heaven; She suckles Her Child.
Arawn
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| Hit The Nail On The Head | Oct 16th. at 1:14:40 pm EDT
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Cúglas Hiberniae (New Brunswick, New Jersey) - Email Me
"We have always been free to choose whether or not we wished to belong to a religious group, the same as we choose to belong to a political party, or live on the west coast or the east. Belonging to some religious organization has never been equated with belonging to a political party in this country. At least, not until now. It seems to me it would be in the best interest of the political parties to separate themselves from this religious entanglement. "
I agree with this statement whole-heartedly. My boyfriend and I are both conservatives, and Pagans. We want to believe that the reason so many other Pagans want to strangle us is because they are scared (and rightfully so) of a takeover by the religious right wearing the sheepskin of the Republican party. If all Pagans try to tie their religion onto the opposing political party, this is only going to further the cause of the TRUE threat to religious freedom, the fundamentalist Christian voters.
This country is SO much more than either "hippy vegan New Age homosexual antiwar liberal Democrats" or "redneck polluting Christian intolerant bigoted conservative Republicans".
Don't buy into a political party based on your religious views! These stereotypes are tearing our country apart!!!
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| Nice | Oct 16th. at 12:57:03 pm EDT
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Paradox Greymind (Lexington, California) - Email Me
THis is a nice well thought out peice without much bias at all it is listed as opinion but it rings ture to me
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