Separation Anxiety
When a Christian voices an opinion on social hot-button issues like abortion and gay marriage, there are always a few who cry foul based on the "separation of church and state."
However, the other night I saw an evangelical minister asked if the Bible supported the rich paying more taxes. "Isn't that a Christian value?" asked the interviewer. The minister correctly asserted that helping the poor should never be mandated by government, but all should freely give more to those in need.
Yet it begs the question: Why did the interviewer suddenly bust through the "wall of separation" to support the call for higher taxes on the rich? Does this mean you are against "separation" as long as the church agrees with YOUR public policy agenda? Then quick! Put that "wall" back up when we broach subjects on which we vehemently disagree (gay marriage, abortion, etc.).
The blatant hypocrisy by many on the left has me scratching my head.
You can't have your separation and eat it too. Picking and choosing when separation is a good thing belies the contraception mandate that guarantees free birth control at the cost of religious liberty. What is going on? Wake up and smell the burning Bill of Rights!
Where are the separatists now? The ACLU? They could be defending their belief system and proving their integrity instead of remaining eerily silent.
If you want separation of church and state, great, do not force a faithful Christian business owner to pay for health coverage their belief system cannot support. Stop selecting when and where you will herald the value of the 1st Amendment. Most Christians believe (as I do) the church is not a structure, but a people. When you force individuals to deny their Christian conscience, you are robbing them of the rights they are constitutionally guaranteed.
I agree there should be no state religion, but the religious affiliations of those who work for and in the state and those governed by the state can and should be protected as they govern publicly and do business privately. If you appreciate that Christian business owners believe they shouldn't lie and cheat, then you need to protect the views they hold that you may not agree with as well.
Rob Machado
10:17 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I'm curious to know how you determined the political leaning of the media member asking the question about the rich paying more taxes?
Tim Hatch
10:38 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Rob, is this a trick question? Haha... Okay, I'll play along. They weren't on Fox News. Does that answer the question?
Emcee of Seekonk
2:04 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
"...if the Bible supported the rich paying more taxes. "Isn't that a Christian value?" asked the interviewer."
To begin with, a silly question from the interviewer (assumed to be a representative of the mainstream media and therefore easily dismissed). There is no connection between the rich paying more taxes and the money going to the poor. The money might just end up in some kind of Solyndra deal. With that, I doubt that extra taxes would be a Christian value.
Recent (Dec. 2-3) Rasmussen poll: "Voters are narrowly supportive of allowing businesses and religious organizations to opt out of government-mandated free birth control for their women employees if religious beliefs are at stake." ... "46% Favor Allowing Religious Exemption for Contraceptive Mandate, 41% Oppose"
deb of see-attleboro
2:39 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tim: Would you agree the whole concept of insurance is counter to what the Bible teaches?
I am pretty sure we are headed to a governemt controlled universal health care system. How long it takes to get there depends on when the faithful accept the direction this country is headed. I am not at all in favor of this direction. However, I think it is too late to turn back now. The only way religious organizations and people of faith are going to escape the bondage of these mandates is if the current health insurance system is abolished. Then those who oppose Obamacare for religious reasons will "render unto Caesar" and have clean hands.
I'm sure government health care be just as good as government schools;)
paul
3:05 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Tim, I get that you are a very religious Christian and I can respect that having come from a very religious family. I don't get why you are calling the left hypocrites and I can't understand why any man would be against birth control. If you are against abortions, you should be all for birth control and if Christianity is against both, maybe they are wrong. Times have changed but the Bible hasn't. I think the USA is still the greatest country in the world and every one of its citizens should have health care insurance.
Gretchen Robinson
9:08 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
I can't imagine how you twisted the meaning of religious freedom. It's meant for individuals, so individuals can choose what makes sense to them to believe and what church to belong to. It was never meant for institutional churches to try to write their theology and ideology into law, which is what the Roman Catholic bishops are doing in the USA.
Women are no longer going to accept second class citizenship, are not going to accept not having access to birth control. This is a human rights issue and an equal protection issue. I am an ordained minister and worked six years as a hospice chaplain. Patients and families had a live and let live attitude. Would never push their religious ideas on anyone.
I think ministers should be in favor of separation of church and state. After all, without it, one or another church or religion would have gained enough power to become the establishment church.
Our founders knew this! Their ideas are straight out of the repressions that led to the Enlightment. Rick Santorum with his evangelical Catholicism tried wrenched the whole country to the right last spring during the primaries. The result: women voted overwhelmingly for Obama because they knew he stood up for women's access to birth control, the morning after pill, and abortion.
You don't tell women how to make choices about their own bodies. Religion and ethic can contribute to the discussion but stop trying to force women to continue pregnancies against their will.
Joyce Leven
8:23 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
amen, sista!!! :)
Steve Hopkins
7:12 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Well said Gretchen. The points that Reverend Paul alluded to are on the mark, also. Tim seems to be saying that all Christians are against healthcare policies for religious businesses that offer anti-abortion rights and care. That is predominantly lead by the Catholic Church Christians, IMHO. Was the promotion of having larger families, by the Catholic Church, for survival of the human race or to spread the Catholic doctrine? Health care in those days was rather unsatisfactory and people died quite young! As far as spreading Catholic doctrine, I have no idea. I do know that we certainly do not really need to increase the population for reasons of survival anymore - well, in most parts of the world anyways.
Gretchen - yes, would must have control over their own bodies. And not controlled by men - of the church, or the government. Santorum was a right wing jerk. I guess he still is since he is alive! that was a bad as McCain -or the GOP- picking what's her name from Alaska to be VP..of the United States. Geez, what were they thinking picking an unknown woman to run? A woman would have been OK, but an unknown with no federal level experience???
Any ways, I degrees.
Tim, what the heck do taxes have to do with any of this? We have separation of church and state. Nuttin' Honey! Except that churches do not pay taxes. That is to help reinforce that separation of church and state.
Gretchen Robinson
9:16 pm on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
here's the demographic that should be keeping you up at night, the rise of the 'nones', those who when asked if they have a church or a religion, say they have 'none.' I'm not anti-religion but I am anti-insane religion.
Joyce Leven
8:19 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Nobody is asking you to avoid your christiansen conscience. the way you chose to live your life is your choice. You just have to remember that it's not everyone else's.
Joyce Leven
8:19 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
oops, that's "christian conscience." my apologies
Gretchen Robinson
11:47 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
it offends my conscience when politicians try to push an agenda that would result in women being denied birth control... my conscience and that of many in this country...
deb of see-attleboro
5:15 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Gretchen: Here is the demographic that should keep you up at night: those who are born without a conscience at all.
I don't know if there are more or less of them. But for those who walk among us, they are apparently being nurtured by Satan in basements around the country. They are the demographic that keeps me up at night.
Gretchen Robinson
5:56 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
do you mean psychopaths?
Steve Hopkins
7:20 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Many people have rejected the official and ritualized doctrines that many churches cram down one's throat. They know in their own hearts that they can live their lives as good people and will not 'go to hell' ! they choose not togo to church every week, or every day, because, I assume, that they feel that ritual will not make them better. some might read the bible at home, but not be a church goer. What's wrong with that? NOTHING!