Dangerous Alchemy
In a single event, Texas Governor Rick Perry managed to attack the separation of church and state, women, gays, and the entire judicial branch of our government.
A few choice quotes:
FORT WORTH, June 5 – Making good on a Republican campaign call to celebrate with “Christian friends,” Gov. Rick Perry traveled to an evangelical school here on Sunday to put his signature on measures to restrict abortion and prohibit same-sex marriage.
he signed a bill passed during this session of the Texas Legislature requiring girls under 18 to obtain their parents’ consent before having an abortion. Previously, they needed only to notify their parents.
“We may be on the grounds of a Christian church, but we all believe in standing up for the unborn,” Mr. Perry said.
He also said he was putting his signature – although it was not required – on a measure that places a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages before Texas voters on Nov. 8. “Activist judges have used the bench to advance a narrow agenda,” the governor said, adding that the measure defining marriage as a sacred bond between a man and a woman “places it beyond the reach of activist judges.”
Ibid
The Rev. Robin Lovin, a Methodist minister and an S.M.U. professor holding the Maguire Chair in Ethics, said, “There are lots of reasons to go to church on Sunday, but making laws isn’t one of them.”
Signing a bill into law in a church, he added, “is a pretty clear symbol that the church is at the service of the state or the state is at the service of the church and either way we’ve crossed an important line that has a long history in both politics and theology.”
Ibid
Instead of defending our longstanding tradition of separating church and state, this new Republican party is actively encouraging this one religious group to feel they are entitled to decide not just what’s moral and right for themselves, but what is moral and right for all of us.
I’m certain that if some other group were trying to force their religious norms on the rest of us by making them into laws, these Evangelicals would cry foul.
I can’t help but feel that we should all be crying foul right now.
Terri said,
August 8, 2005 @ 8:53 am
No one is trying to force their religous belief on to any one. This is just plain moral issues that actually have nothing to do with religion. Our constitution was written by christain founding fathers and it is just since the sixties that things started to change sad to say. There are more important issues that need to be addressed right now. Like the government and activists taking control of what we can or can not do on our own property. They can do anything they want with the place that we supposedly “own”. They can tell you you can’t build here or you can’t do anything with this piece because they are declaring it a wet zone, they can force you to sell your property at any time they want. What about all these pedifiles and child abusers that are getting off scott free to go out and destroy another family, and another child’s life. There is much more to think about than this petty little thing of yours. Open your eyes and look out side yourself
Patti said,
August 8, 2005 @ 9:59 pm
Mom,
I’m not sure what pedophiles or zoning laws have to do with separation of Church and State, but I’ll try to address the part of your comment that relates to my piece.
You may feel that making abortion illegal is just a plain moral issue, or that marrying only the opposite sex is a plain moral issue, and you’re right. But there’s a difference between public morality and private morality.
Public morality is about refraining from hurting other people. The government steps in and makes laws (or should) to prevent us from harming one another. For example, rich corporations have lots of money and power. It is easy for them to take advantage of us by knowingly selling inferior products that could hurt us, or by treating their employees unfairly. In these cases, government should make laws to protect the weak.
Private morality is about our personal choices. Choices like, who I will marry, or if I’ll wait for marriage before I have sex.. these are personal morality choices, and for these decisions many people take guidance from their religious beliefs. This is fair and appropriate.
But it is not appropriate for you to take your religious ideas about personal morality, and force them on everyone by making laws. That is not what our founding fathers had in mind when they clearly outlined in the constitution that the State should be separate from any Church.
As a matter of fact, our founding fathers were Christians, as you said. They were Christians who had been persectuted in their homeland by other sects of Christians who had control of their government. The whole reason they came to America was to escape the horrible treatment they were recieving simply because their type of Christianity was slightly different from that of their government.
They learned from their experience that if any one Church is too closely related to the government, that religion will hurt people who are from other religions. This separation of Church from State is meant to protect us all from persecution and abuse, and it is such an important facet of our Democracy.
Nobody in our country would ever force you to marry a woman, or to have an abortion. That would be forcing someone else’s personal morality on you, and I feel certain that you would not feel that the issue is so “petty” if they were. My question is why would you want to force yours on them? It’s really none of your business what other people do in the privacy of their own lives.
It seems like your life would be so much happier if you stayed focused on all the blessings you have in your own life, instead of wasting so much angry energy judging other people who aren’t hurting you at all.
mom said,
August 16, 2005 @ 7:24 pm
I think that your last three lines would benefit you also. Hey honey, sometimes you get so wrapped up in politics that I sometimes wonder where you are.
I love you and want you to just be happy without agonizing so much over some of these issues. Granted, there are a lot of important things going on out there, and we can only do so much about them. If we aren’t willing to do anything then we need to not get too upset. I am not saying that you aren’t willing and not putting you down, but things need to be done in moderation. Yes?
mom said,
August 16, 2005 @ 7:28 pm
By the way, Morality is anything that has to do with the appropriate treatment of other human beings. Morality is not deliberately hurting another person in any way. That should be human nature but it isn’t. Anyone that cares about life and people would not intentionally hurt another human no matter how young or old. No matter how small or how large.
Patti said,
September 7, 2005 @ 9:26 pm
Ma,
I do get upset about politics, and the condition of our world. I worry about what kind of country/planet/society we’re going to leave for the kids I don’t even have yet. For the kids Donna doesn’t have yet. For the kids total strangers are trying to raise right now.
I do need to learn not to take it all so hard, and Kris is helping me with that… but I also think it’s irresponsible not to get involved and help where I can.
I agree with you completely that real morality, social responsiblility, is about not hurting others. That’s why I’m against gay bashing. That’s why I’m against prejudice and hate speech, no matter who it’s aimed at.
I believe that it is every single human being’s sacred duty to look honestly at life, and to try to really understand the impact of our actions. To read the lables and to ask questions. To challenge ourselves every day to grow wiser, kinder, and more compassionate.
No person can ever have all the answers, and we’re all just doing the best we can every day. But I believe we are capable of doing so much better than we are. I feel like I would not be living up to my potential as a human being if I didn’t try to learn and grow, and to aid the struggle for a better life for everyone, every single day.
Love you,
Patti