[Rhodes22-list] Politics - Moral Clarity

[brad haslett]

Ed,

Here is a very good article on the role of "moral
issues" and the recent election:

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?pt=c3t%2FZx7FXm7Px4waAFUYsx%3D%3D

Being religious doesn't make one moral nor does being
a moral person require one to be religious.  There has
been too much made of this issue.  But, if you need a
scapegoat, moral issues is as good as any.

Brad

 
--- ed kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:

> Folks:
> 
> Moral Clarity is a political term.  Moral Clarity is
> "the real black and
> white line that divides free societies from fear
> societies, the real line
> that divides good from evil."  Sharansky, Natan and
> Dermer, Ron (2004) The
> Case For Democracy, The Power of Freedom to Overcome
> Tyranny and Terror. New
> York: Public Affairs.
> 
> There is no deity in this definition notwithstanding
> the author is
> associated with a particular religion. 
> 
> This book is available in print only and not on
> audio.
> 
> Ed K
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On
> Behalf Of Robert Skinner
> Sent: Sunday, November 21, 2004 6:14 PM
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Jesusland.
> 
> Rummy -
> 
> Couldn't agree more about the problems that come 
> up when we combine religion with politics.
> 
> Part of the background of our current "family
> values"
> vs. secular considerations may come from our failure
> to distinguish between moral issues and ethical
> ones.
> 
> Morals are a product of a person's dialogue with his
> deity of choice - and there is more than one such
> acknowledged in this country.
> 
> Ethics are shared in a society without regard to
> religion - or the society falls apart.  When the 
> society decides to enforce morals, it becomes a
> theocracy, and people's rights are submerged in the
> regulations laid down by the priest class, specially
> when it is indistinguishable from the ruling class.
> 
> I believe that the "family values" issues raised in
> the last election are totally irrelevant to our
> government, and were used in the most unscrupulous 
> way to obscure the real issues confronting our
> government.
> 
> /Robert Skinner
> -----------------------------------------------
> R22RumRunner at aol.com wrote:
> > 
> > In a message dated 11/21/2004 2:06:47 PM Eastern
> Standard Time,
> > flybrad at yahoo.com writes:
> > 
> >
>
http://realclearpolitics.com/Presidential_04/2004_County_Results_Final.html
> > I get it now, those people that didn't vote for
> Bush, according to the red
> > and blue map, are less religious than those that
> did.
> > This country is in a sad state of affairs. What
> happens to the people that
> > are either in the red or blue, voted for their
> candidate, but aren't
> religious?
> >  Where do we fit in? Personally, I don't think
> religion has any place in
> > politics. Something about the separation of church
> and state. Our founding
> > father's were very smart in writing this into our
> constitution. Putting
> the two
> > together only muddies the waters even more than
> they already are. Religion
> or
> > actions taken in the name of religion have done
> more harm to the planet
> than
> > any  other "just" cause. Let the priests, rabbi's,
> mullah's(sp) and
> ministers
> > tend their flocks, but leave the rest of us alone.
> > 
> > Rummy
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