A question about civil laws versus religious laws: when is it right, in your opinion, to legislate religion?

Question

Now, I know we have freedom of religion in America, and this is a very important right, as is the Separation of church and state. However, it seems that many political issues lately have a religious backing, and I am just wondering, when in your mind, it is right to legislate religion, and if we do, whose religion do we choose?

For example: Gay marriage: This is an inherently religious issue for a lot of the supporters of it (I said a lot, not all) and most cite that it is an abomination in the sight of YHWH.

Abortion and stem cell research: Often (not always) have a religious backing, because people believe a soul or live begins at conception, which is contrary to some religion's beliefs.

The war: Some groups are conscientious objectors for religious reasons, others are not.

Where does this stop? For example, something like proselytizing is an abomination to my religion, but if I made a bill to eliminate it I would be accused and rightly so, for trying to infringe on religious

Answer 1

In my opinion, it is never right to legislate religion except for its freedom and tolerance. However, as you know, it is rarely this simple. There are too many religious laws built into legislation today that is justified by our civil laws. Our politicians and the lawyers find legal justifications to abuse the intent of our laws. It stops only when our court system use their common sense to realize the commingling of church and state. Unfortunately, that is not an easy task.

Answer 2

Hello Aingeal,

Thank you for this question. The issue of religious verses civil law is not an issue in the USA because as you stated the constitution prohibits such a thing. You may be confused because in many parts of the world the law of the land is the law of the the religion a small number of powerful people such as Saudi Arabia which has Sharia law or the law of the Koran administered by the religious elite.



Another example would be North Korea which uses the principles of Marxism dictated by an individual, Kim Jung Il, and the people have no say in government.



The law of the USA is based on Judeo-Christian values which are moral principals of based on the Bible. The federal government debates all laws using representatives of the people from the states to write and amend laws so that the people have the power in the country rather than religious leaders or an elite minority.



It is understandable that there is confusion about the connection between the Bible and law because ninety percent of the people represented are Christians and Jews. The hot topics of abortion, the redefinition of marriage to include homosexual behavior, the harvesting of embryos for stem cells, and the roll of conscientious objectors in public service are all fully vetted by the Congress and the Senate, and then the Judicial branch of the government interprets these much debated laws when there are court cases.



The short answer to your question is that is never right for our government to legislate religion.

Answer 3

You don't understand or have never been aware of how learned the authors were that framed the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights etc. The American public school do not do this either since it is too liberal. Also they were historians and compared all the governments that had existed before them until that time to form a more perfect union politically then was ever done before in the history of the world. Nor do you understand that alot of them had a religious faith and a relationship with God. Much more than the modern re writers of history would have you believe now.



They understood God and who he was. They knew that all men were created equal because that was the way God saw them. They know that from God comes all the liberties that man enjoys. And the government documents were not to impose laws upon man. But to impose the will of the government on the people it governed.



This is why you se so much "religious backing" on so many issues. That is the American way. It is the peoples way. Today you see many voices of many who are nonbelievers. But this too is the American way. Why? Becuase it reflects the time and character of this present generation that is so far removed from a generation that founded this country. That generation knew a government that ruled for it's own purposes was not a government by the people and for the people. They looked instead for a new start. It was America. So don't think this is something new. It is much older than what one is taught in schools today.

Answer 4

Good question & LoL at some of the bigoted responses...Tho' sad that some are so ignorant...



This country was founded on both Freedom of & Freedom From Religion... Appearantly some forgot the latter...Esp our politicians...



We all have a right to our beliefs..Thus entitled to worship in our synagouges,churches whatever..I draw the line when others attempt imposing their religion,values on me & others who aren't 'fundies' or evangelizing Christians... Haven't ever had an atheist or Pagan proselytize me...Or tell me I'm going to their imaginary hell,Christians that is.



Pagans,Judaism,atheism & yes,homosexuality has been around forever,before Christianity was even thought of...What makes these 'fanatical Xtians' think theirs is the only morality & others have no values??



Am Jewish & find it laughable yet arrogant when Christians 'assume' they know Torah better than a religious Jew..They wrongly call it the OT & badly misinterpreted in their various bibles!



Wish they'd keep their proselytizers,religious bill-boards off the street & only in church where it belongs.....



Waiting for the thumbs down :-) LoL

Answer 5

Well these are not only issues for religion but they are all ethically controversal.

1. Gay marriage is unnatural, nature tells us that children are created by a man and a woman. It also is an attack on the family structure, as well as natures way of procreating and the survival of the human species.. wouldn't you agree?

2. Abortion and Stem cell research- It is against the law to destroy/murder a fellow citizen in the United States.. Are babies not Human? Who can make the decision that they feel no pain during the process.. and further more what if we allowed other humans to be sedated and killed, would that be fair? What is fair in this situation? They were created, don't they deserve a fair chance at life?

I can see were it would also be an ethical issue if it were a young girl raped, and a pregnancy results. You have to say that is a totally different situation.. so you see ethical issues are hard to decide. Which child should suffer? but using abortion as birth control, and it is evident that this is a practice based on the amount of abortions performed in the United States daily. This is just cruel and inhumane. According to statistics only 1% of abortions are due to rape and incest.

As far as Stem cell research- who wants to benefit from the death of a baby? Can't we use the cells from the umbilical cord or placenta? Why do we want to first kill these babies and then benefit from their death? Does no one find that evil?

War- there are times when war can not be avoided. I believe we have to defend freedom, we have to defend ourselves, but sometimes there is abuse of power, and that is not right. Innoscent people suffer.

You see these are not only religious issues but ethical issues as well.

Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion and, particularly, another religion

Answer 6

Some people are for or against any or all of those issues for NON religious reasons. For some people, moral issues have nothing to do with religion, and are seperate from their religious belief (or lack there of). Therefor, I think the best option would be for a complete seperation of religion and state. It is extremely unfair to the millions of people that are not, for example, Christian, if laws were based on Christian morals.



Anyways, when you mix religion and state, bias creeps in in a convenient way. For example, Christian groups are up in arms about gay marriage and abortion, but don't give a **** that the war they are supporting is commiting war crimes, and killing hundreds of people. Religion is (sometimes) used like a crutch, and it allows citizens and government to lean on it instead of taking the time and effort to think critically. I find that ANY kind of zealot, be it religious or anti-theist, lacks the ability to think critically and unconventionally, and that's a dangerous mix with power and money.

Answer 7

The new legislation does not require them to serve same-sex couples. "Officials cited a lack of clarity in the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Unions Act, which does not specify whether religious child welfare agencies must place children with couples in civil unions. Without a specific provision protecting religious agencies, church officials said, the agency can't risk losing state contracts." So basically, it's more about money than it is about "religious freedom."

Answer 8

It is never right to legislate religion. However it is always right legislate morality. Morality is not religion and vise versa.



Gay mariage is unnatural to begin with!! So how is this religious in nature? Can a man and a man copulate and make children? or can a woman and woman do it? If not, it goes against nature. If nature agrees with the word of God, maybe it is because the laws of nature were created by God.



Abortion is wrong on many fronts. First of all it is the taking of innocent life. Would you like it if they were to legislate to have your children put to death if they broke the law by crying in public? Disturbing the peace.

I don't think you would agree with that legislation. and you would probably fight it to the Surpeme Court!



Stem cell research is not wrong if it is done within the boundries of the law and yet there are some who would break the law to fulfill their goals. That is wrong!



When does the condemnation [for no reason] of people of religion who have a conscience stop? To force them to be silent it tantamount to taking away their freedom of speech!



If you passed a bill, which prohibited the proselytizing of others, that would go against the 1st ammendment rights of all of us, not just religious people!!



One by one, we are having our rights eliminated by those who say they want to preserve them! So they say!!

Answer 9

People have a right to believe what they want within their chruches. They have a right to use those beliefs as part of the decision making process when voting. But they do not have the right to fashion laws based on their particular religious belief and expect the rest of us to live under these laws.



I'm a Christian gay man and I believe homophobia is a grievous sin and dangerous to society. Does that mean I have the right to amend the Constitution to prevent homophobes from marrying? I don't think so and the same thing applies to religious groups who try to take my civil rights away.



Currently, heterosexuals have special rights, such as marriage, based on whom they have sex with. Gay people who pay the same taxes as heterosexuals should receive all the same rights, benefits and privileges as heterosexuals do.

Answer 10

A religious commandment should be followed because of one's dedication to that religion. Forcing everyone to do so defiles its sanctity.



If you don't believe in same-sex marriage or abortion then don't have them, but let other people have theirs.



Even atheists should be able to be conscientious objectors, if their personal ethics are that way.

Answer 11

You have to understand that people are truly and deeply stupid. The collective IQ of the world is a negative number so large it is the paradox that will collapse the space-time continuum.



People no longer have the mental strength and integrity to separate their religion from their other beliefs. People can no longer think "Well I think everyone should have the same rights" and also "Well my religion is the right one". Instead people think "Well I think everyone who agrees with me should have rights and no one else should since they are not following the right God...rights are privileges given to those who agree with me". So instead of people thinking we should all live by these basic rules and then people can pick their own religious rules.....people now fight in order for the legal right to force everyone to live as each person's religion says everyone should. Anyone who says religion is about freedom is lying, anyone who says it is about democracy is lying. Religion is about God, morality, conformity and obedience. We do not vote on religious rules, we do not consider "to each his own within reason" to be valid...people now demand we all each and every one live by the exact same rules..and we should attack, kill and torture those who do not.



Then take into account the other aspect of human stupidity...the absolute inability to question religious dogma. Take the bible for example...written by men, none of it written by God, no book of Jesus in the gospels, multiple translations and editions, etc. Yet people will say it is the infallible word of God. When you point out the many horrible, horrible contradictions such as the support for slavery, death as a punishment, etc they say no not those parts but the rest is. How is it infallible if you can pick+choose what you obey? You cannot..because it is a book written by MORTAL men we should use our minds, reason and morality to interpret it. Same for the Quran but to even question/disrespect it is worthy of being attacked.



If people would stop being brain dead we might be able to have religion and society again.....but right now we are forcing them together because it leaves us free to sit in our own drool and be stupid..so we see an increase in violence and wars. So what if the rates of wars and violence decreased as socities became more secular? War and violence is good for people and what God wants. We are supposed to be ignorant, refuse to even attempt to understand creation, and be happy to die in all the religious wars because that is God's will.







If there is a God, and I believe there is, may it strike us down before we spread our taint to the rest of its creation

Answer 12

Idiotic religious nonsense must not be allowed to infect our laws and our government with the disease of ignorance.



Gay marriage hurts no one. Stem cells are hindered by religious nut jobs. Abortion is a personal choice and no ones business but the woman involved.

Answer 13

The problem is that with Gay marriages, it breaks down the family and is unproductive in society. Our government is based on the Bible. All laws are with God as sovereign and we always should consider what laws we make to be in accordance with the Bible.

What our founding fathers were so careful about was that they did not want the church in the government like it was in Europe, because that power corrupted the church.



As for the war, our government's responsibility is to punish the wicked, reward the good, and protect the innocent. That makes this war right according to God.

There are four different kinds of government that are covered in the Bible.

1) Self government

2) Family government

3) Country government (or state)

4) Church government

Each has their own responsibility and their own leaders. No one government needs to be doing the others responsibility or to take over the leading. In order to have peace and prosperity, the Bible is the document to use.

Answer 14

It is never right or okay to legislate religion as this is a secular society. We have a separation of church and state. Unfortunately, it isn't always the case.

Answer 15

When religions start preaching politics, it's time for them to lose thier tax exempt status.

Answer 16

Just because a law has the support of any religion does not make it a law that enforces religion. By definition all laws should enforce morality.

All good laws should provide protection for people. Laws against abortion would protect unborn human beings (keep in mind a fetus is a generic term, the human fetus is 100% human, just as the human adolescent). Laws against embryonic stem cell do the same thing, they protect unborn human beings.

Answer 17

Not just many, but ALL of the laws in this world are religious. What is religion? A "body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices" [1] What is religious? "of, pertaining to, or concerned with religion" [2]



Why is a law made? Because someone says, "This thing is wrong" or "This thing is right". That is what he/she BELIEVES. Laws are always made (100% of the time) base upon what someone believes.



Many people in this world (many deceiving their own selves) say, "I am not a religious person. I believe religion is wrong." That is their RELIGIOUS belief! Many say, "I do not believe in God." That is their RELIGIOUS choice! Many say, "I believe in Evolution. The world came to be by Evolution." That is their RELIGIOUS belief. And that (Evolution) is their god!



Is it right or wrong to murder someone? Who am I to say it is wrong? Don't you have just as much say in it as me? You are a human too. You have just as much authority as I do to say what is right and what is wrong. Some people say it is not wrong to murder. Some say it is not wrong to be homosexual. But what makes them right or wrong?



Some say, "I am right because I am smart." or "I am right because I am wise." But in "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Romans 1:22).



Evolutionists say, "I do not believe in religion, I believe in science." That is a deceitful lie. Science is simply the art of producing the same result over and over in a controlled environment. That is why when someone gets their job down real well people say, "He/she has got it down to a science."



Have you ever seen an animal of one kind give birth to that of another kind? Have you ever seen inorganic matter (i.e. a rock) give birth to life? No, but many people believe it has happened and that it still does happen. But that's the thing, they BELIEVE that it happened. They are RELIGIOUS. They have their BELIEFS just as every individual has his/her own beliefs. They have their own RELIGION as every individual has his/her own religion. And they have their god (Evolution) just as every individual has his/her own god or gods or God (in my case God).



I believe it is wrong to murder. But I do not have the authority to tell someone it is wrong. That is God's authority and He said it in His precious Word the Holy Bible ("Thou shalt not kill." --- Exodos 20:13).



The questions are: Whose authority are you going to base your religious beliefs on? Your own? Some other human's? Satan's? Or God's? And whose religious beliefs is the government going to base it's laws on? Atheists'? Muslims'? Christians'? etc.



Everyone in this world is religious. It is just that many deny that they are (which is a religious choice). Every law in this world is based on religious beliefs. It is just that many deny that their beliefs are religious (which is a religious lie).



This is discussed in detail in a book I read recently and this book is (in my opinion) the most interesting and most important book I have ever read outside of the Holy Bible. The book is Public School Hell (not my book, though I wish it was). The main thing I like about Public School Hell is that it is very well documented providing a GREAT amount of proof with everything it says. Check it out on Amazon.com here http://www.amazon.com/PUBLIC-SCHOOL-HELL-establishment-humanist/dp/0977999688/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211638836&sr=8-1



Or you could go directly to the publisher's website to download for FREE the complete book in PDF format here http://www.dayspringpublisher.com/

Answer 18

Sadly, we can take religion out of politics but you can't take religion out of peoples minds.



Religion and politics are oil and water.

Answer 19

dear...

you might find this question related to yours. hope it helps.



God Bless.

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20080706111722AAYpK4L&show=7#profile-info-pbT0tJvqaa

Answer 20

Both are based on thought so both are wrong.

Answer 21

You would be hard pressed to leglislate away Christian values.

Democracy (Acts 1:26.)

Freedom (Acts 22:28.)

Why are these Christian values basic to our faith, and our civilization? We need them.