The fundamentalists among them all dismiss evolution (and the attendant sciences), women's reproductive rights, cutting edge stem cell research for good medical cause and the like. The church's power relies on the resolve of its fundamentalist adherents to hold sway over the lives of unwilling others. Remember the Moral Majority? And that's just for starters. The moral majority disbanded long before religious nuts wanted to teach creationism is science classes and put a damper on possible life-saving stem cell research.
Yes and again, if the government doesn't give the fundamentalists power then they have no power. We can keep doing this all day long. At the end of the day, the government write the laws, not the church. The church has every right to speak out on any issue and exercise their first amendment right and you have every right to speak out against them. At the end of the day, Congress makes our laws.
"There is an obvious solution to this issue, an issue that has been exclusively caused by President Obamaâs health insurance mandates, and legislation that required we pass it before we found out whatâs in it. Get the federal government out of the mandate business that has resulted in hundreds of waivers and excruciating First Amendment issues. Getting the federal government completely out of the health care business all together would even be better. The problem, as they say, is then solved. A perfect, real compromise would allow families and individuals to select the health insurance plan that meets their needs. If their employer does not provide health care insurance or provide specific coverage (birth control) they want, they are welcome to purchase a supplemental policy directly from an insurance company that provides the coverage they are looking for. Looking for birth control? Target offers Sprintec and Tri-Sprintec for $9 per month (28 days) without insurance. But that is not what Fluke, Obama and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) want. They want mandated coverage for all, no matter what the reason, and paid for by someone else even though that coverage may diminish the rights of someone else. True rights exist simultaneously between people, and exercising those rights can not diminish the rights of another. Read that last sentences again and commit it to memory."
Congressmen, like other politicians, need to get elected to pass those laws. Look at the methane that Santorum runs on. That's how religion creeps into government, a little at a time until it reaches critical mass and then holds sway over secular life. And now you wish to rob government of its checks and balances. You are the one making circular arguments. Consider history. Religion is a weed whose only purpose is to spread and dominate. Is it all suddenly different this time?
Easy solution. Vote! Come on Gabby. You are just playing dumb now. This is why we have elections. Santorum opened his mouth and started talking crap and he tanked in the polls. Washington is full of colorful characters and the media on both the right and left keep everyone in check. If you really want to do something, vote! And get other people to vote. Only about 35% of Americans vote in Presidential elections and less then 5% vote in state and local. That is the problem. Vote!
I'm Canadian. But if I were a US citizen, then that is exactly what I would do, by voting for the Democrats. I do the equivalent here at home, but unfortunately it didn't work out so well last time. It's nice that we agree on something.
Washington State has 6.8m people. Around 38,000 voted in the GOP caucus - this is not 5% but 0.5%. And that 0.5% decides who will represent one of the two alternatives we have in the presidential election. The other choice is of course already made for us. If the 0.5% were a cross-section of objectively successful, wise etc. individuals that might be one thing, but it's mostly just oldsters trying to make sure they keep getting their government check. The sad thing is I don't think more voting would actually "improve" the outcome, most people are morons and the ones who can't be bothered to vote... well they probably shouldn't.
Replace the word religion with Government and it is the same thing. Government is a weed that whose purpose is to spread and dominate. The big different is that the Government has the power to take citizens money and liberty. Religion can only entice you to volunteer your money and freedoms away.