Thread: Separation of Church and...

Well..I guess I'm opening myself up here. I don't see anything wrong with asking people to congregate at a specified time for religious fellowship, regardless of a persons station or history.

I didn't feel "preached to" when I watched the video.

No state resources were used in the making of the film..at least that's what it said.

Citing past Presidents belief in a higher power, didn't give me the impression that he was "using" them to legitimize his request.

Being invited to Church by someone on TV, is a lot less intrusive than the holy rollers that used to come banging on my barracks door every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning to tell me they'd love to have me come so I don't go to Hell. That's no exaggeration btw. I was informed on at least three separate occassions that I would burn in hell if I didn't go to church. Certainly a comforting thought for a soldier in heavy combat rotations.

Point is: If an invitation to religious fellowship is truly an issue for the majority, I feel bad for the majority. When people invite me to Church, I generally feel pretty good about it. I don't go. But I still think it's nice to be asked. Unless "hellfire" happens to be the reason I should go. In which case, I've been known to school a missionary or two...

Originally Posted by regularjoe

Well..I guess I'm opening myself up here. I don't see anything wrong with asking people to congregate at a specified time for religious fellowship, regardless of a persons station or history.

I didn't feel "preached to" when I watched the video.

No state resources were used in the making of the film..at least that's what it said.

Citing past Presidents belief in a higher power, didn't give me the impression that he was "using" them to legitimize his request.

Being invited to Church by someone on TV, is a lot less intrusive than the holy rollers that used to come banging on my barracks door every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning to tell me they'd love to have me come so I don't go to Hell. That's no exaggeration btw. I was informed on at least three separate occassions that I would burn in hell if I didn't go to church. Certainly a comforting thought for a soldier in heavy combat rotations.

Point is: If an invitation to religious fellowship is truly an issue for the majority, I feel bad for the majority. When people invite me to Church, I generally feel pretty good about it. I don't go. But I still think it's nice to be asked. Unless "hellfire" happens to be the reason I should go. In which case, I've been known to school a missionary or two...

I feel you Joe but the point is who is inviting in this case. And in this case it's a State Governor. A man who represents all.

For those who see this as an appropriate role for a state Governor to be assuming (i.e. the promotion of a faith community gathering ostensibly for the purpose of curing society's ills) would you feel the same if he was of another faith?

If Governor Brownback called you to join him and the Imam of Topeka as he preaches Jihad against society's ills (remember Jihad is a very broadly-defined term that can represent struggle of all kinds, not just an armed struggle) would you still think it a good thing? Perhaps you would, inch'Allah.

If Governor Brownback called you to join him at the Topeka Temple in meditating on the wisdom of the Buddha, the impermanence and suffering of the material world, the absence of God, the Eight Fold Path, and how society can cure its ills by rejecting materialism and seeking enlightenment and the cessation of the cycle of rebirth, would you still think it a good thing? Perhaps you would.

If Governor Brownback called you to join him and his fellow Pastafarians in repentance to the Flying Spaghetti Monster for the purpose of curing society's ills, would you still think it a good thing?

Do you believe that his doing this is good because it engages peoples' spirituality, or because it is a Christian message? Or more specifically a message tailored to a very specific subset of those in the world who would call themselves Christian?

My opinion ultimately counts for nothing in this as I am not a resident of Kansas and therefore have no personal stake in this event. But like many others I am instinctively uncomfortable when elected officials who have been elected to serve all members of a particular constituency publicly espouse of favour a particular faith group.

Maybe the Gov should have phrased it something like "Collective repentance to the Higher Self Day" but that would have PO'd a whole lot of people too...

Scandal! Govenors Jim McGreavey, Eliot Spitzer, Mark Sanford, and now Sam Brownback!

Originally Posted by earcutter

I feel you Joe but the point is who is inviting in this case. And in this case it's a State Governor. A man who represents all.

David, that technique is known as an appeal to authority. Another example is cosmetics companies using famous actresses/models as spokespersons.

And yet again Brother Cangooner of the International Brotherhood of Spalted Cap Snafflers brings perspective to the issue with both poignancy and tact. ATTABOY KRIS!!!

Is Gov. Brownback (is that really his name?!?!) attempting to be the 2nd coming of the Great Saladin?

Originally Posted by mapleleafalumnus

Is Gov. Brownback (is that really his name?!?!) attempting to be the 2nd coming of the Great Saladin?

If he is, his opponents had best watch out - Salah al-Din was a serious badass!

Originally Posted by Cangooner

If he is, his opponents had best watch out - Salah al-Din was a serious badass!

Oh, I don't know about that. The Grim Reaper made mincemeat outta him, too.

I think the Founding Fathers neglected to include in the U.S. Constitution "separation of church and media."