Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!jarthur!usc!wuarchive!rex!ukma!seismo!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: lindborg@cs.washington.edu (Jeff Lindborg) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Imposing Christian morality on nonbelievers Message-ID: Date: 14 Feb 91 12:04:51 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Washington Computer Science Lines: 63 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article gchin@eng.sun.com (Gary Chin) writes: >In article , DOUG@ysub.ysu.edu (Doug Sewell) writes: >> It's becoming more common for Christians to attempt (through boycotts >> or legislation) to impose their moral standards on nonbelievers. >Laws don't prevent sin, they point out sin. I don't beieve any law was ever passed that had anything to do with the sinnful nature of the act in question. 'Sin' is a religious concept and term and is, to my knowledge, not used in legal procedings. >I believe >that if something is against the law, more people will >recognize that society doesn't encourage that kind of >activity. True. But making something illegal is not always the best way to handle the situation (take prohibition, for instance). >It makes sense to right one wrong at a time. If >I disapprove of something that is contrary to God's laws, >I should let my government representatives know about it. Unfortunately we are not a theocracy... we are a democracy with a strict separation of church and State (if Pain had his way there would be much more than mere 'separation'.) If Christianity were suddenly surpassed by, oh, say, Islam as the dominate religion in this contry, would you feel it was ok for the Islamics to pass laws based on their conception of what 'god' tells them is right and wrong? Oh, me thinks not! The same line of reasoning applies to what you are saying. You arrogantly assume that the inherent truth of your possition is self evident to everyone willing to look. It is not and the Christian history on morality is shakey at best. The Old Testament (or the Tanak... I'm a equal opportunity agnostic...) is FILLED with things sanctioned by God (Yahweh) that would cause outrage by today's standards. For instance God gives Moses several laws pertaining to the treatment of slaves (such as if you beat your slave too hard and he dies... its ok because he was your property to begin with). E-Gads! Don't piosly sit there and try and tell me Christinity and the Bible stand for morality and what is 'good' and 'right' for everyone. Some of us are moral on our own with no threat of punishment in the afterlife necessary to motivate us. >> Whenever I see this happening, I wonder if the Christianity they practice >> has any real power or virtue of its own, or whether it's just a form of >> making rules rather than living by faith and trust. > >I live by faith in Jesus, and I want my community to >know about it. While I am here, I am a witness for >Christ. Being a witness is fine... I encourage you to show us what a good Christian should be. But I draw the line when you start to try and make us be what you consider to be a good Christian through the ledgislation of laws that affect everyone. >Gary Jeff Lindborg "I support your right to believe as you like as long as you limit the practice of those beliefs to yourself."