Re: [asa] Re: good atheists?

Hi Bernie,

A good post, I thought and I agree it is entirely proper for the state to pass laws preventing immoral acts by religious figures.

However, just two observations;

In respects of "the church" being willing and able to deal with televangelists I think "ability" is the big issue rather than willingness. The fact is that contemporary Christianity has developed as it has precisely to escape the imposition of ecclesiastical power. The result is tremendous freedom for the individual Christian which some, sadly, abuse to further their own ends.

Second, just thinking of "secularists" doing what the church can (or will) not: don't forget that a great many of those secularists are actually Christians! By way of analogy, one could argue that it took secularists to finally rid the British Empire of slavery - and that would be quite true. But it shouldn't be missed that the leading secularist in the anti-slavery movement was Wilberforce, and although he worked through the secular government, he was motivated by his Evangelical Christian faith.

I suppose it really goes to show that church state separation throws up all sorts of conundrums - it makes it impossible for the church to police its own, but it allows believers to influence the state for good (as well as for ill).

Blessings,
Murray

Dehler, Bernie wrote:
By the way, the only reason televangelists can get away with this is because the separation of church and state, and these preachers turn it around and cry 'persecution' if the government even shows the slightest concern, and then the televangelists' sheeple fall for it. If it ever gets cleaned-up, it will be cleaned-up by secularists, because the church is unable and unwilling to clean its own house in this regard.
>
> ...Bernie

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Received on Thu Sep 3 16:27:27 2009