Hear hear, Kyle.  That's a beautifully-explained position, and I'm glad you
shared with us what you think and why you think it.

I'm a writing teacher, and I'd have to say there'd be few opportunities to
improve upon that...we call those "thanks for the ride" papers.

Scott

----- Original Message -----
From: Cleveland, Kyle E. <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 7:41 AM
Subject: Re: Dang!


> Ok, I'm going to go out on a soapbox hanging off a limb here too (though
> I'll probably have a spasm and fall off).
>
> Most of you know where I stand faith-wise so you'll be surprised when I
say
> that I am a staunch supporter of the separation of church and state.  It's
> only because of that separation that I have the freedom to practice my
> faith.  Any attempt by the "religious right" to create even the most
minimal
> of theocracies should be opposed with vigor.
>
> I believe what I believe because the logic of my faith seems overwhelming
to
> me, but it no way was acceptance of that faith forced upon me by
government
> fiat.  I believe that our "founding fathers" (a phrase become trite
through
> overuse)in no wise ever advocated the co-mingling of government and faith.
> For one thing, it's not the government's place to legislate morality.  A
> moral code is an agreed upon lifestyle between mankind and his maker, or,
if
> you don't believe in a "maker", mankind and his society.
>
> One's moral code is an individual and personal script.  If the government
> gets in the business of legislating the finer points between right and
> wrong, who's to say that my personal code won't be legislated away?
>
> As far as the "Christian Right" is concerned, they need to become more
> familiar with their own sacred texts.  The theocracy of Israel ended with
> the temple veil being torn at Jesus' crucifixion.  The implication was
that
> at that point in time an individual's relationship with God became
personal
> and not national.  These folks would be well served by remembering this
most
> basic element of their Christian faith.
>
> From Constantine to the Crusades to the Inquisition to modern day Islam,
we
> have a pretty good precedent for what happens when you mix the two
> "unmentionables": religion & politics.
>
> Stumbling from soapbox
>
> -Kyle
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BG Greer, PhD [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2003 8:44 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Dang!
>
>
> Deri,
>
>        I would be terrified if the Christian Right would have power over
our
> government. I say more power because in the Bush Administration, we are a
> close as we ever have been to that state. The same goes for other
extremists
> such
> as Shiites. If we have gotten rid of Saddam Hussein(and we can't even say
> for
> certain we have done so) to be replaced by a Shiite theocracy; we have
done
> a
> grave disservice to Iraq. Another tenet of our government is the
separation
> of
> church and state. A theocracy as I understand it, is a government premised
> on
> certain religgious beliefs. What I know about Muslims and Iraq comes from
my
> son in law who is Lebanese and who gave me a Muslim 101 just recently.
>
> Bobby
>