|
tweakabelle -> RE: The Religious Right and the New Atheism (11/16/2010 3:18:52 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: tazzygirl
quote:
ORIGINAL: tweakabelle
quote:
ORIGINAL: tazzygirl
quote:
ORIGINAL: tweakabelle
Indeed. Most religions i am familiar with insist on the primacy of their own codes over whatever civil codes that may apply too.
do tell, what codes are you referring too?
Religious theological/moral codes over the legal codes (laws).
One example: at the Catholic schools I had the misfortune of attending, I was taught that wherever and whenever there is a clash between the laws of the Church and the laws of the land, Catholics are obliged to follow the laws of the Church and disregard the laws of the land.
Further I was taught that Catholics who die as a consequence of such a choice were martyrs automatically assured of: (a) a place in heaven; (b) automatic sainthood; (c) their actions would bring honour on their families for generations; and (d) their actions would secure immortality for themselves. Not a big leap from that to 21 hunnis and suicide bombing is it?
My guess is that this kind of thinking played some part in authorising the murders of doctors who worked at abortion clinics in the US a few years ago.
Love to all
You state one religion.
The Mormons 12th article of faith reads as follows...
The 12th Article of Faith states a general rule as to our relationship to earthly governments: “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.” This is further reinforced in a revelation given eleven years earlier:
“ Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land. Wherefore, be subjectto the powers that be... (Doctrine & Covenants 58: 21, 22).”
Your post said most religions. Im curious as to what others you can find.
IF you grant me the courtesy of reading what i actually wrote, you will see that I actually said “most religions I am familiar with” and then offered “one example” to illustrate the point. The phrase "one religion" does not occur anywhere in my post.
Mormonism is not a religion I am terribly familiar with. This relevant issue would be if and when there is a clash between Mormon Church law and civil law. There are consistent reports of Mormons practicing polygamy, (esp among what the media here describes as “breakaway sects”). My understanding is this practice used to permissible amongst Mormons, tho it was never, as far as I am aware, legal in the USA. Beyond that snippet I can’t really comment.
For most if not all Christians, this is a bit of a ticklish issue I would imagine. For Christians to insist on the primacy of human laws over Divine laws would mean that, when it comes to law making, human power exceeds Divine power. Obviously this would compromise the claim that the Christian God is an “omnipotent Supreme Being”. It would clearly mean that human justice was superior to Divine justice. To me it seems that another clear implication would be to render the need for a deity obsolete. If all this doesn’t actually constitute blasphemy, it would seem to me to verge on it. So there doesn’t appear to me to be much wriggle room for Christians on this issue.
Again the primacy of Divine law over civil law is a standard claim made by most religions I am familiar with and quite uncontroversial. I haven’t even expressed a view as to whether this is a good or bad thing. Simply pointed out that this is what most major religions teach. I can certainly understand why ppl might have an issue with that, tho please allow me to suggest that it would be far more sensible to complain to the religions concerned rather than 'shooting the messenger'. Or, for that matter, shooting yourself in the foot repeatedly.
|
|
|
|
