Poll: Religion out of Politics?

[hellokeith]

Originally posted by: Vic
You should take your own advice about being empathetic with your brothers. There is no greater selfishness than insisting that the world mold itself into your ideal.

I agree with this principle, but alas this is a very slippery slope.

For example, let's look at what gay marriage and polygamy would have in common:

1. Consenting adults
2. What people do behind closed doors is their own business
3. Doesn't harm or affect other people outside those participating
(I'm not saying agree with these points, just using them for example.)

Any redefinition of marriage to allow gays is a slippery slope to allowing polygamy. Outside of religious reasons, I don't see much in the way of arguing that gay marriage is ok but polygamy is not.

Sometimes making a stand based on religious beliefs is necessary. If the voters agree, then they agree. If they don't, then they don't.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: hellokeith

Originally posted by: Vic
You should take your own advice about being empathetic with your brothers. There is no greater selfishness than insisting that the world mold itself into your ideal.

I agree with this principle, but alas this is a very slippery slope.

For example, let's look at what gay marriage and polygamy would have in common:

1. Consenting adults
2. What people do behind closed doors is their own business
3. Doesn't harm or affect other people outside those participating
(I'm not saying agree with these points, just using them for example.)

Any redefinition of marriage to allow gays is a slippery slope to allowing polygamy. Outside of religious reasons, I don't see much in the way of arguing that gay marriage is ok but polygamy is not.

Sometimes making a stand based on religious beliefs is necessary. If the voters agree, then they agree. If they don't, then they don't.

What's wrong with polygamy provided all the parties involved are consenting adults? I see no slippery slope, nor can I find any religious arguments against gay marriage or polygamy (there's quite a bit of polygamy in the Bible, for example, and every man is allowed up to 4 wives in the Quran).

 

[Banzai042]

Saying that religion and politics should be seperate is all well and good, but in practical terms it's impossible. I will freely admit that as a christian my ideas as to what are wrong and right are shaped by my faith, and I have no doubt that most christians or for that matter most people of any faith would say the same if they were being completely honest. Large areas of politics are argued in the realm of right and wrong (social matters, war, individual rights, etc...). To say that religion needs to get out of politics is saying that people are not allowed to say that something in politics is right or wrong based on their own beliefs. If this were to happen we could end up with something along the lines of "Well i that that this is ok, and since your only objection to it comes from your religion you can't say that it's wrong, so it has to be right". And yes, i know this is an extreme case, i'm just listing possibilities.