Dear readers,
Many of you may have missed this comment by "Stony" to a post a couple of months ago. I would like to hear from you about this suggestion.....
You most likely know I am not personally a member of any Christian congregation. However, I do believe in the voice of religious leaders as a guide to our moral values (though not the infallibility claimed by the Pope and many evangelical sects). I like to listen to their views, especially when they urge peace and selflessness.....
So with this in mind I ask your input about Stony's post. It seems simple to me: religion cannot be favored by government. Nonetheless, moral imperatives of all voters must be considered by government. Religion doesn't get to dictate who votes for whom. In fact religion does not get to dictate anything. Only to propose, to its congregations, those values supposed to reflect God. Think of religion as a frame of reference, or a debate. And then, look at this comment by Stony:
Maybe they should just end the tax-free status of all the churches,their businesses and properties. They they could do what they want without fear? Although many already do. I attended a service in another state where they handed out sample ballots with each choice of the church already marked and the congregation was told "you vote this way or we will now about it"
Look at all the wars that have been waged in the name of religion.
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A current best-selling book, The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins, argues that belief in a supernatural god is irrational; that religion has been and continues to be a source of great evil in the world; and that a moral, ethical life is possible without using religion as a basis. Yes, I agree people's moral values are important, and that government must, to a certain extent, reflect those values. However, I would argue that the voices of religious leaders should be neither more nor less important than the voices of atheists, agnostics, non-believers or indeed any others of a non-religious persuasion. And we must always remember that the basis of our government is the Constitution, not whatever the fickle way the current wind of "moral values" is blowing.
I have long thought that religious institutions should not be tax-exempt. It is really just form of subsidy by the government and thus by all of us who pay taxes. I think that tax-free status should be reserved for charitable institutions (i.e., those that give or spend a high percentage of their income on truly charitable efforts). I doubt that many Christian churches could meet that standard.
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