Ron Paul and the Christianist - UPDATED


Another reason why I don't support him
Almost every time I'm told that Ron Paul deserves my support because of libertarian principles, something like this happens. Paul's a populist. Some of his ideas are good, but the whole "Christian America" thing rubs me the wrong way for obvious reasons. I've talked about it before, but it keeps coming up.

Just because I am Pagan doesn't mean that I "hate" Christians. I was raised on the edge of an evangelical tradition, I even studied to be a Methodist minister for a short time. I have friends from many different faiths. The beliefs don't matter. How you treat others does.

I personally don't care what god or what church you choose,

Just don't expect me to live by the "rules" of your choice.

Morals and ethics don't depend on faith. Pardon me, but I said it very well before.

Matters of faith are a personal choice, they should never be public policy. Would you like me to tell you how to worship your god? Why should government have the power to dictate an individual's faith and practices?

So where does that leave us? Without an absolute moral standard revealed in a holy book or proclaimed by someone touched by the Divine, how should we decide which laws are good and which laws are bad?

We're left with a simple idea that has worked so far. If I don't want someone forcing me what to believe, it's in my best interests to make sure that no one forces you what to believe either. People can try to persuade you, but force is a big no-no.

Christians know the idea as the Golden Rule, but various Ethics of Reciprocity predate Christianity by quite a bit. Don't do it if you don't want it done to you.

Faith imposed is no faith at all. If a belief system can't compete without the threat of force, then it doesn't deserve to exist.

Remember that. Faith imposed is no faith at all.

What other religious freedom even exists?

It's one of those things I talk about a lot.

It is that old Ethic of Reciprocity again. Don't do it to anyone else if you don't want it done to you. One of the oldest and truest rules in human history. No matter what your beliefs are, if you want to be free to believe as you choose, you absolutely must let others have the same right. Even if your beliefs demand that everyone else is wrong.

If it doesn't inflict measurable harm, then government has no business prohibiting it. If the law is not about measurable harm, then it probably has a religious basis.

Live free or die.

UPDATE:
I knew I wrote this piece this before. I did a better job then too.

— NeoWayland

Posted: Tue - September 23, 2008 at 02:35 PM  Tag


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