separation of church and state

Sponsored by Devout Democrats, this local symposium features keynote Speakers Rev. Barry Lynn and US Representative David Price; and a moderated board discussion.

Location: The Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church is adjacent to University Mall at the intersection of Willow Dr and US 15/501. The address is 1712 Willow Drive, Chapel Hill.

Purpose: This program will equip and encourage North Carolinians to respond effectively when religious issues arise in the political arena. We need to be articulate both about the separation of church and state, and about our own motivating values. The PAC, Devout Democrats offers North Carolinians a unique look into the current realities of politics and religion.

Coming to grips with the influence of religion in secular affairs is not a uniquely American issue. As this story in The Economist points out, the rise of Islam in Europe is upending long-standing privileges enjoyed by Christians.

What has upset the old equilibrium, say law pundits in several countries, is the emergence all over the world of Muslim minorities who, regardless of what they actually want, are suspected by the rest of society of preparing to establish a “state within a state” in which the writ of secular legislation hardly runs at all. The very word sharia—which at its broadest can imply a sort of divine ideal about how society should be organised, but can also refer to specific forms of corporal and capital punishment—is now political dynamite.

Can you believe it? I bet you can. I actually bet most people don't really mind it either. But the House of Representatives voted to officially recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.

There are so many things wrong with this short story that it's hard to know where to begin.

ASHEVILLE - U.S. Senator Richard Burr will host a federal grant workshop in Asheville to focus on improving access to federal grants for faith-based and community initiatives.

The workshop will be held at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Reuters Center at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Burr will deliver opening remarks to workshop attendees.

That's the problem. This is a follow on post to gregflynn's Misanthropy on the Mall; yet another of my long winded comments that just got too big for it's breeches.

The thing about the men who lead rallies like the verbal gay-bash-fest yesterday in Raleigh is that they don't have the first stitch of love or care for anyone in them. Gregflynn is absolutely right about that. Not one bit of their goal is about love or helping gays. They lay every problem in this nation and even in other nations at the feet of those who do not believe exactly like them. Gay, straight, whatever. As W would say,

They hate us for our freedoms.

Among all the hypocrisies of the libertarian wing of the North Carolina Party of Greed, their hypocrisy around protecting young people from being monetized by commercial interests or proselytized by religious interests is most damning. Carrying the banner of free-market fundamentalism, they believe businesses should be free to exploit children with no restrictions - and that it's just fine to reallocate tax dollars into "faith-based" initiatives like religious charter schools. "What's the problem?" they ask. The marketplace will eventually work things out and the best ideas will win in the end.

For my part, the line between church and state is both broad and bright. Though I am personally a regular church-goer and student of all things religious, I strongly object to any instance in which government sanctions, embraces or endorses any aspect of religious practice. Institutional prayer in public meetings, schools, courts, and other government-funded activities should be strictly forbidden - as Jesus specifically recommended.