❝❝There's also climate change. Some treat it very much as a religious issue, right down to attacking dissenters as heretics. Using the law to compel belief is wrong.

After all, if it is Divine Will, how can mere humans dare question it? Which gives non serviam some very interesting implications. By some interpretations, the absolute demands of monotheism may be less about the Divine and more about the political power of princes, potentates, and priests.

It's easy to laugh at those crazy monotheists until you see some demands of the RadFems, the trans activists, the environmental groups, the redistributionists, and anti-hate speech types. Always, Always, ALWAYS there is a Grand Cause that demands total submission and absolutely no denial "for the greater good."

Anytime you see "thou shalt not dissent," it should be a flashing red strobe and a triple siren.

---

Kosher certification for restaurants is one private alternative for food safety that has worked. One author, L. Neil Smith, suggested in one of his novels that insurance companies would do a better job with driver's licenses because they are liable if something happens. Obviously these are not the only possibilities. But with government, we end up with only one Official Solution® allowed.

Personally I prefer the free market and competition. And by free market, I mean no government to pick winners or losers, and no government to give advantages over others. Just voluntary exchanges between consenting adults. Many companies especially international ones owe their competitive advantages to special privileges from governments and/or government regulation and control.

The only times I think government should intervene is to protect life, liberty, and property. Beyond that, the only role I see for government is enforcing contracts and agreements, but even that could be done privately.

But that is just me.

I do believe that Meddling in Other's Lives For Their Own Good is one of the great evils unleashed on humanity.❞❞

Tags: climate change ∙ religious ∙ beliefs ∙ dissent ∙ Divine Will ∙ non serviam ∙ mere unbelievers ∙ monotheism ∙ absolute ∙ princes ∙ potentates ∙ priests ∙ RadFem ∙ trans activists ∙ environmental crusade ∙ redistribute wealth ∙ thou shalt not dissent ∙ kosher ceritificaiton ∙ insurance companies ∙ driver's license ∙ food safety ∙ competition ∙ government ∙ winners or losers ∙ voluntary exchange ∙ consenting adults ∙ special privileges ∙ government regulation ∙ life ∙ liberty ∙ property ∙ enforce contracts ∙ meddle ∙ for your own good

❝❝One reason why the public school movement gained so much ground in America was in direct response to Catholic schools. Control over what should be taught in public schools is a distraction.

Hardly anyone asks if there should be public schools in the first place.

Mandatory school attendance is backed by the force of law. Much of it has degenerated into who gets to control the conditioning. Which raises some interesting questions. The Daily Caller reports that the Mountain Ridge Middle School in West Virginia requires students to write out the Shahada to practice calligraphy. There are no requirements to write out Christian or Jewish affirmations, and apparently those are not part of the curriculum. Obviously Buddhist and pagan beliefs aren't included either.

Why is this a big deal and a much bigger deal than is being reported? According to Islam, reciting the Shahada makes one Muslim forevermore.

I want to stress that the issue is not Christianity, Islam, or any other faith. The issue is public schools requiring faith lessons. If public schools force religion on the students, then most likely they are teaching other questionable propaganda as well. We notice the religion because as members of minority faiths that is one thing our antenna are tuned for, we overlook the other.

All of this returns to the question why have public and compulsory schools to begin with?❞❞

Tags: public schools ∙ Catholic school ∙ mandatory attendance ∙ Daily Caller ∙ Mountain Ridge Middle School ∙ West Virginia ∙ student ∙ Jewish ∙ Christian ∙ Buddhist ∙ pagan ∙ beliefs ∙ islam ∙ faith ∙ Muslim

Headlines that don't merit their own entry

Tags: sexualization of children ∙ prostitution ∙ government shutdown ∙ denied service ∙ beliefs ∙ gun rights ∙ IRS ∙ Aziz Ansari ∙ bill collecters ∙ sexual assault ∙ mismanaged ∙ rip off ∙ low income taxpayers ∙ immigrant success story ∙ rathole ∙ internet outrage ∙ perception overwhelms actuality

❝❝Celebrate your beliefs and cherish your faith. All I ask is the same. Just don't demand that my beliefs and actions are bound by yours. Live and let live.

What you believe isn't important to me. Your freedom to choose what to believe, that is vital. That is what I will defend.❞❞
     — NeoWayland, A Pagan looks at “Christian America”

Tags: maxims ∙ beliefs ∙ faith ∙ live & let live ∙ freedom of choice ∙ Christian

❝❝Why should I be expected to live under their beliefs if they aren't willing to live under mine?❞❞
     — NeoWayland, United We Stand - Dragging religion into politics

Tags: maxims ∙ beliefs

❝❝My faith and beliefs are at least as important to me as yours are to you.❞❞
     — NeoWayland

Tags: maxims ∙ faith ∙ beliefs ∙ important

❝❝Legislation is not morality, and morality certainly isn't legislation. The distinction must be made. Otherwise politicos wrap themselves in the flag AND hide behind the most convenient faith/moral code they can find. Arguing over morality keeps us honest. We're better when we verbally defend our ideas to people who don't necessarily share our beliefs.❞❞
     — NeoWayland

Tags: legislation ∙ morality ∙ politicos ∙ flag ∙ faith ∙ moral code ∙ honest ∙ beliefs ∙ maxims

❝❝It's never common sense to purge a belief system, especially when you do it in the name of moral superiority.❞❞
     — NeoWayland

Tags: beliefs ∙ moral superiority

❝❝No matter what the belief system, the truly enlightened don't need to call themselves that.

Or justify it either.❞❞
     — NeoWayland

Tags: beliefs ∙ enlightenment ∙ justify ∙ maxims

““Your beliefs shouldn't govern my behavior.””
     — anonymous

Tags: beliefs ∙ govern ∙ anonymous

❝❝Who said I don't believe in gods?

If anything, I don't believe in your beliefs. But that's okay, you don't believe in mine either. I could qualify it and say more specifically I don't believe in your understanding of your beliefs (and I'm pretty sure you don't either), but that is complicating things far beyond what is needed for the conversation here. Not to mention being incredibly self-referential.❞❞
     — NeoWayland

Tags: maxims ∙ believe ∙ beliefs ∙ understanding