re how to pray, etc.

[thomas kyhn rovsing hjoernet]

On 01/04/03 22:30, "David Morris" <fqmorris at yahoo.com> wrote:

> --- thomas kyhn rovsing hjoernet <tkrh at worldonline.dk> wrote:
>> On 01/04/03 21:02, "David Morris" <fqmorris at yahoo.com> wrote:
> <<<Such equal treatment of all religions is in the US Constitution.
> I don't know if that's true of many European nations.>>>
>> 
>> Unfortunately not. The only European country I know of that's separated
>> church and state is Sweden. However, from what I read I get the impression
>> that in the US religion has far more influence on politics than here in
>> Europe + that christian fundamentalism is a much more common phenomenon.
> 
> Many religious people are politically active, often more so that the average
> guy because the religious zealot feels he's on a mission.  That said, no one
> is
> preventing the average guy from being more active.  The bottom line is that no
> religion is supposed to have an inherent political advantage, and the smallest
> minority's beliefs (even those labeled as "cults") are protected against the
> mob of the majority, at least ideally so.

No, 'no religion is supposed to have an inherent political advantage', but
your 'supposed to', as far as I've understood, hasn't secured this ideal. It
comes across as decidedly unhealthy when references to otherworldly
authorities are accepted in political discourse, and even more so when such
references are used to back up political decisions. That 'no one is
preventing the average guy from being more active' than relious zealots does
not legitimize bringing religion into politics.


Thomas