Religion and politics, can you seperate them?

[Lost Soul]

Can you seperate religion from politics? We hear of the seperation of church and state, but if your religion was in the vast majority in your country, would it force the other religions out by passing laws or even a change to its constitution? Would it require those who do not believe as you do to follow its views of morality?

For example; if your religion dosen't believe in drinking would it force all people to stop drinking if it had the political power to do so? Is political power a goal of your religion?

 

[ch'ang]

I sure hope so, I don't think I would do well under a theocracy

 

[Feathers in Hair]

I think you can, depending on the person, the religion, their politics and the way the person and their country interact with each and percieve them.

 

[spacemonkey]

Religon and politics NEED to be kept seperate, something the founders of the United States knew (considering most of the initial settlers came here fleeing religous persecution themselves) but more ans more Americans seem to be forgetting. When you mix religion and politics you get HOLY WARS!

 

[Eynah]

I think the one thing that annoys me is when people say that the government, the US government, was founded on Christian principles. This is just not true. I think that it proves that a government can be founded without involving religion.

No matter what religion I end up turning to, if any, I would not want it to make a theocracy. I don't want to have my child, if I ever have a child, go and learn about ID or have to read the bible every morning. Which is why I would not want to do it to some other person.

 

[Storm Moon]

South Carolina already tried to install a theocracy and it didn't work.

 

[mormonman]

South Carolina already tried to install a theocracy and it didn't work.

What??

 

[Green Gaia]

I think you must separate them if you believe in religious freedom and pluralism. One religion's laws should not be forced on those not of that religion.

 

[anders]

Even the Christian Democratic Party here is mainly very careful not to let religion into their campaigning. One exception would be the chair of their youth league, who recently in public stated that she doesn't oppose ID being taught in schools. The Swedish Sceptics' Association awarded her the "misleader of the year" award for that. I suppose she's removed from politics by now. Any politician on a country or even county level who tries to connect politics and religious beliefs will be removed from the stage even before the news hit the headlines.

From my first vote to my previous one, I have voted as far to the right as legally possible. Guess my views. I'm an atheist, I support a woman's right to decide on matters of her body, and I think that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden should accept same gender marriages like our national law does, and not just offer blessings.