JEFFJ ... "When I say religion can be used to legislate, here is what I mean...
The majority in this country is in favor of outlawing prostitution. For some, the moral reasons for favoring this may be rooted in religion. The Constitution does not prohibit the outlawing, or legalizing prostitution"
Here is a link for you: www.latimes.com
The Government is now sponsoring churches (through Bush's "faith-based initiative") to do charitable work, the language used by the Supreme Court states that: The government can't support one church over the others, but can support all churches to sponsor charitable works ...
Our Government is sponsoring religion. Furthermore, endorsing one brand of religion over the other, in that; the government will decide which brands of "Faith" it will give funds to do this "charitable work". Therefore, the government will have to decide which brands of faith are valid, and which are not ... This IS wholly against the Constitution ...
And, the arguments used frequently to impassion voters against candidates and or certain legislation are Religious in nature. When it comes to legislation on, say:
1. Health and medical rights, Religion shouldn't be a factor. (This legislation should be based on science)
2. Human Rights, Religion shouldn't be a factor. (This legislation should be based on equality for ALL)
3. Morality, Religion shouldn't be a factor. (The Government shouldn't legislate morality, but especially with a religious bias)
In all of these areas of legislation Americans have religious influence as a guideline for the law. This is in direct conflict with the religious rights of Atheists, Agnostics, Spiritualists, Pagans, Satanists, etc. Therefore, are unconstitutional.
Legislation such as the RLPA (Religious Liberty Protection Act), RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) and even the watered down version of these; the RLUIPA (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act) use verbiage that entitles "SPECIAL RIGHTS" to persons of religious orientation.
All of these infringements to American Civil Liberties, as-well-as the entitlements and "SPECIAL RIGHTS" to persons of religious orientation have been brought to you by groups such as:
The Christian coalition, Family Research Council and the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Conventionis are large and powerful lobbying groups in the United States. They are tax exempt (the CCA recently lost its). This gives them a financial advantage in regards to lobbying Congress and thereby influencing legislation to religious ends. Many leaders of these groups see all issues as religious and calls on Christians to "take over or get rid of institutions of secular government". And, many of the leaders and members of these groups are Christian Reconstructionists
Christian Reconstructionists espouse a radical theology that calls for trashing the U.S. Constitution and replacing it with the harsh legal code of the Old Testament. They advocate the death penalty for adulterers, blasphemers, incorrigible teen-agers, gay people, 'witches' and those who worship 'false gods'.
In summation: I am much less worried about one "Muslim Congressman" than I am the tidal wave of influence and impact of Christianity in the US government.
