on this weeks Kitchen Table we discuss religion and politics – using a clip from The West Wing…enjoy
Kitchen Table 26 – Being the Bad Guys
How does Good Theology Lead to Good Society, Law and Politics?
The Blog of David Robertson
The Blog of David Robertson
on this weeks Kitchen Table we discuss religion and politics – using a clip from The West Wing…enjoy
Kitchen Table 26 – Being the Bad Guys
How does Good Theology Lead to Good Society, Law and Politics?
The Test Act is a good example of why religion has no place in politics, not least because it brings to the table numerous sub issues that defenders cannot provide evidence for. Faith being the obvious one.
Hundreds and hundreds of years of kings and queens ruling by Divine Rule should be enough of a warning.
Cries of” God wills it!”, and the meaningless pithy saying, ”In God we trust” have no place whatsoever in a democratic government.
Alda’s speech was excellent, and quite clearly shows that religion (in the states in particular) is merely used as a means to a political end.
As you rightly pointed out the odds that there are likely no atheist politicians in the US is preposterous.
But it still seems that for a politician in the US to ”come out” as an atheist is tantamount to destroying one’s political career in one fell swoop.
This shows just how backward the US is in this arena.
Nobody cares what religion one is in Australia, the UK or other prominent Western societies. Just do the job you were elected for.
The Big Ticket in the US is often the issue of abortion, and it is (wrongly) tied with religion, and in this case Christianity.
And yet, there are plenty of atheists who are against abortion and there is at least one organisation I am aware of that actively campaigns.
It is, of course, the (false) belief that one’s morals and ethics are derived from God and thus being Christian will somehow make a person a more honest politician and a better leader.
What do people really want? Good leadership, good governance.
How we achieve this?
*Shrug*
One can start by examining those countries where, by and large, the general population is reasonably happy.
The state replacing God is nothing new. The Nazi propaganda machine did that well with Hitler’s “positive Christianity” (as opposed to Bonheoffer’s “confessional Christianity”) and the swastika and Mein Kampf appearing alongside the cross and the bible with the former two usurping the latter. And all that was, was a specific example of what has always been. Rendering the Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s was a rebuke to religious authority that had gone off track with the use of the temple.
So it’s not surprise that organised religion should be tarnished in a not dissimilar way currently with there being nothing new under the sun.
It’s ironic that the US claims there is separation of church and state where you are not likely to be elected unless you claim to have faith and the other way abound with there being a state church in the UK and it likely going against your political ambition if you were to identify with Christian faith.
It’s a funny old world.