We like to call that "the Republican Party."

When you live in Utah.

Isn't it only natural that a person's religious beleifs help to define what they think is right and wrong; and by extension, which political policies they will define as good or bad?

Urgh, the House of Lords has a lot of religious types in it- and the Monarch is also the head of the state church. The lack of separation between church and state here makes my skin crawl.

Sure, its okay by me so long as religion isn't officially endorsed and/or legislated by the government. But if citizens want to speak out about how their subjective beliefs influence their political leanings, they should have every right to. I'd actually like for politicians to openly declare where they stand on religion and how it would effect their policies, it would give me fair warning.

I do think that Americans in particular allow the hotbotton, religiously charged social issues (abortion, gays, etc.) to grandstand in the collective psyche over much more pessing problems.

On Monday 11/16/09 - 11:36:46 PM snowbdr88 wrote: We like to call that "the Republican Party."

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 12:11:45 AM HaroldtheBat wrote: When you live in Utah.

Those are true...but what about Iran or Saudi Arabia?

Yes, but only in the government's providing freedom of religion; religion should not have any say in the forming of laws.

Might want to edit that grammar, Kiki.

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 6:09:31 PM KimberLoOoOo wrote: Might want to edit that grammar, Kiki.

I kinda like it that way actually.

In philosophy, I guess

unless you're talking about the institutions, rather than abstract concepts

and then I suppose not

I think that the final product that you should look for in society is religion and politics being seperate from each other. However, during the steps needed to get to this final product, I can see it being necessary in certain situations and social climates for the two to be mixed.

On Monday 11/16/09 - 11:36:46 PM snowbdr88 wrote: We like to call that "the Republican Party."

eheh