What do we agree upon?

[Maple]

and I beleive in a right to life.
I believe in God.
I am a Christian and believe that this country was founded on Judeo, Christian values as evidenced in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
I am not apposed to gays or lesbians but believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. I won't try to change you, but don't try to change me.
I believe in personal responsiibility.
I believe in small government.
I believe that NO ONE is entitled to another's hard earned money because they have chosen to be a victim and not taken advantages of the opportunities that this country has given them.
I believe in helping the less fortunate, as I do, through faith based initiatives and my own hard earned dollars, but don't want a government taking my money and distributing it through their channels.
I believe in low taxes so as to promote growth and opportunity for future generations.
I believe in freedom which has never been free, but faught for and preserved by our wonderful ,heroic, veterans that have defended this country with thier lives. Thank you veterans.
I believe in a balanced budget.

I believe in the constitution of the United States of America.

I believe that there needs to be health care reform but that it needs to take place in the private sector, without a government option which would bankrupt this country.

 

[goldcatt]

gold.......Good post. Do any people you know want to put religion in the public square and if so do you debate the idea with them?

I say pretty much the same thing. Whenever government has messed with religion it's always been worse for religion than the government.

Also, if you're talking about Christianity it's all about a personal, private relationship between a person and Christ. That's not something that can be taught in schools and equated with math and reading. Churches and other religious institutions are equipped to handle spirtiual matters, it's their primary function. Do these people really want government employees teaching their kids what to believe?

 

[Cold Fusion38]

So basically you are a hard right conservative.........I think you missed the point of the exercise here......The IDEA is to tell us if you support any LIBERAL ideals despite the fact that you are conservative. As I mentioned in my first post that although I am more liberal im most of my views I feel very strongly about some more conservative ideals. For example I beleive we should secure our boarders, I feel that gun control does NOT keep guns out of the hands of criminals, and I beleive that illegal aliens should NOT be eligable for social services.

 

[Cold Fusion38]

gold.......Good post. Do any people you know want to put religion in the public square and if so do you debate the idea with them?

I say pretty much the same thing. Whenever government has messed with religion it's always been worse for religion than the government.

Also, if you're talking about Christianity it's all about a personal, private relationship between a person and Christ. That's not something that can be taught in schools and equated with math and reading. Churches and other religious institutions are equipped to handle spirtiual matters, it's their primary function. Do these people really want government employees teaching their kids what to believe?

Yeah I'm afraid they do.

 

[goldcatt]

gold.......Good post. Do any people you know want to put religion in the public square and if so do you debate the idea with them?

I say pretty much the same thing. Whenever government has messed with religion it's always been worse for religion than the government.

Also, if you're talking about Christianity it's all about a personal, private relationship between a person and Christ. That's not something that can be taught in schools and equated with math and reading. Churches and other religious institutions are equipped to handle spirtiual matters, it's their primary function. Do these people really want government employees teaching their kids what to believe?

Yeah I'm afraid they do.

Not me.

I'm not virulently anti-government, but we have a 1st Amendment for a damn good reason. Enough of the Founders saw first-hand what happens when Church and State get too cozy. Both get corrupted. Separation isn't denying anybody the right to believe as they want, IMO it protects that right and the institutions that serve the beliefs.

 

[Cold Fusion38]

Gold you get it and I get it but FAR TOO MANY Christians DON'T.

 

[goldcatt]

Gold you get it and I get it but FAR TOO MANY Christians DON'T.

IMO the ones you're referring to are loud, but they're the minority. I know your opinion on religion well but the silent rational mainstream is probably easier to see from the pews.

 

[goldcatt]

No, change that, they're easier to hear, get to know, and speak with honestly from the pews. You can see them anytime, just don't look in the headlines.

 

[Cold Fusion38]

Yeah Gold I don't make it hard to get where I am coming from. I respect people of FAITH but I have ZERO tolerence for RELIGION.

 

[Cold Fusion38]

I mean SOOO many "Christians" don't even know how Christ wants them to act. On the other post Jen is going to try to justify bringing her RELIGION into the public place.

 

[goldcatt]

Some people believe witnessing means being required to shove their POV down the throats of people who don't agree with them (it's not). I don't know this Jen and haven't read the posts you're talking about so I can't comment on that part, but again I firmly believe the people you describe are the minority.

 

[Cold Fusion38]

Gold no doubt you are right but those few are VERY loud and they wield a great deal of political power.

 

[goldcatt]

Gold no doubt you are right but those few are VERY loud and they wield a great deal of political power.

Sad but true - and it just proves my point. When religion becomes about temporal power over other people it's no longer about submitting to faith. It becomes corrupted. Just remember no matter how loud the few scream, they don't speak for all of us or even the majority of us. They speak only for themselves.

 

[Ringel05]

Gold no doubt you are right but those few are VERY loud and they wield a great deal of political power.

Sad but true - and it just proves my point. When religion becomes about temporal power over other people it's no longer about submitting to faith. It becomes corrupted. Just remember no matter how loud the few scream, they don't speak for all of us or even the majority of us. They speak only for themselves.

Ah! Someone who understands the difference between spirituality and religiosity. It's refreshing!

 

[MarcATL]

I would like for anyone who is religious explain to me WHY we should have the Bible in our public schools and if you DO support that would you support putting the Koran the Torah or any number of other religious texts?


Because it would seem to me that if you DON'T then you really don't support the CONSTITUTION.

I'm a Christian and I believe in seperation of Church and State...completely.

No where in the Scripture can you find Jesus forcing himself on anyone or group.

 

[Immanuel]

I would like for anyone who is religious explain to me WHY we should have the Bible in our public schools and if you DO support that would you support putting the Koran the Torah or any number of other religious texts?


Because it would seem to me that if you DON'T then you really don't support the CONSTITUTION.

I would like for anyone who is religious explain to me WHY we should have the Bible in our public schools and if you DO support that would you support putting the Koran the Torah or any number of other religious texts?


Because it would seem to me that if you DON'T then you really don't support the CONSTITUTION.

I am a believer and I do not believe we should have religion in public schools. Not only do the students need to be protected from government establishment, but religion needs to be protected from government corruption. The latter probably more than the former if history is any guide.

I am a Christian. I have no problem with public schools teaching about how faith, mine and other faiths, have played a role throughout history. I do not believe that public school education should pretend that faith doesn't exist.

I do believe that public schools should teach comparative religions class. Why? Because by ignoring the differences between faiths and not teaching what Muslims/Jews/Christians/Mormons etc believe public schools breed ignorance and by breeding ignorance they breed discrimination and hatred.

That being said, there is a fine line between teaching understanding and indoctrination. I do not believe that public schools should teach faith. I do not want my child being taught President Obama's brand of Christianity, that being "Black Liberation Theology". Nor do I think that my faith, Protestant Christianity (I am a Lutheran), should be taught either.

So in summary, I believe that the Bible should be taught in public schools along with the Torah (already part of the Bible) but alongside the Quran and other books of faith, but the curriculum needs to be limited in scope to teaching about the faiths and not teaching the faiths.

Immie

 

[goldcatt]

I would like for anyone who is religious explain to me WHY we should have the Bible in our public schools and if you DO support that would you support putting the Koran the Torah or any number of other religious texts?


Because it would seem to me that if you DON'T then you really don't support the CONSTITUTION.

I would like for anyone who is religious explain to me WHY we should have the Bible in our public schools and if you DO support that would you support putting the Koran the Torah or any number of other religious texts?


Because it would seem to me that if you DON'T then you really don't support the CONSTITUTION.

I am a believer and I do not believe we should have religion in public schools. Not only do the students need to be protected from government establishment, but religion needs to be protected from government corruption. The latter probably more than the former if history is any guide.

I am a Christian. I have no problem with public schools teaching about how faith, mine and other faiths, have played a role throughout history. I do not believe that public school education should pretend that faith doesn't exist.

I do believe that public schools should teach comparative religions class. Why? Because by ignoring the differences between faiths and not teaching what Muslims/Jews/Christians/Mormons etc believe public schools breed ignorance and by breeding ignorance they breed discrimination and hatred.

That being said, there is a fine line between teaching understanding and indoctrination. I do not believe that public schools should teach faith. I do not want my child being taught President Obama's brand of Christianity, that being "Black Liberation Theology". Nor do I think that my faith, Protestant Christianity (I am a Lutheran), should be taught either.

So in summary, I believe that the Bible should be taught in public schools along with the Torah (already part of the Bible) but alongside the Quran and other books of faith, but the curriculum needs to be limited in scope to teaching about the faiths and not teaching the faiths.

Immie

Immie, I would agree with you here in principle but for that very fine line between education and indoctrination. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and even well-meaning people have their own subtle (or not so subtle) prejudices. Not only would some if not many teachers cross that line (intentionally or otherwise), but the overwhelming cost of the resulting lawsuits to already burdened schools wouldn't be worth the result in my opinion. Human nature being what it is, I feel it's better to avoid going there at all.

 

[RavensFan]

I believe in small government, low taxes, fiscal responsiblity and the free market.
I am against the stimulus packages (Both Bush's and Obama's) and the bailouts. I believe the free market left alone would have done more for the economy than stimulus or bailouts.I am against gun control, abortion, and same sex marriage. I was and am for the war in Iraq and the war on terror. I think the proposed Healthcare bill is the wrong thing for our country.

 

[Cold Fusion38]

Again Raven if all you want to do is parrot RNC talking points you have come to the WRONG PLACE. If their are issues in which you DIFFER from your conservative views I would like to hear them. I don't think ANYBODY agrees with EVERY talking point of EITHER party. Give it a try if you would please you may find it fun to see who you agree with on some points.


Again I will demonstrate..........I don't think attacking smokers because they are an easy target is right. They see the taxes for their chosen vice go up whenever there is a budget shortfall and small business owners(restaurants) are being told that their patrons can not smoke in a privately owned business.

 

[Cold Fusion38]

Imm......Has it occured to you that if we give equall time(which would be required by the Constitution) to ALL religions we would have very little time to teach ANYTHING else? Would you want your kids to be taught about Paganism or Satanism? Please don't lie because I don't think you would be happy with that ONE LITTLE BIT!