• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

What is the foundation for your moral and political beliefs?

Everything I need to live my life morally and politically I learned from MSNBC.
 
Mach said:
No, not Christianity. Enlightenment.

Reason, enlightenment, is a primary influence in our system of government. Taking OUT religion as part of state, was one of the ways that was accomplished.
Click to expand...
You are still understating the current and historical influence of Christianity on modern culture. If Christianity was destroyed in the Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries, why was it so prominent in the West until it started to decline in the 1970s? You could make an argument that Christianity is not worthy of being a foundation for anything. But you can't argue that it has been an influence. That would be denying history.
You also cannot argue that it still has a strong influence.
 
I embraced my Catholic faith as a result of reading Norman Vincent Peale “Power of Positive Thinking”

I would have to say the New Testament.

My pragmatism/conservative leanings tend to be geared around my belief in not marching in lockstep with any one ideology.
 
Roger Duke said:
You are still understating the current and historical influence of Christianity on modern culture. If Christianity was destroyed in the Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries, why was it so prominent in the West until it started to decline in the 1970s? You could make an argument that Christianity is not worthy of being a foundation for anything. But you can't argue that it has been an influence. That would be denying history.
You also cannot argue that it still has a strong influence.
Click to expand...
You brought up founding fathers and Christianity, I was simply pointing out that the bigger influence was enlightenment era thinking, which specifically separated church from government.

Liberty is a hallmark of enlightenment thinking, and that includes religious liberty...not the destroying of religion. How can one have religious liberty if it's not separated from government?

You have the freedom to enjoy the religion of your choice as a byproduct of that. Isn't that more important than which religion you specifically adhere to? We're talking about ethics...rules that everyone can follow...each person can choose or not choose their own religion. Isn't that a better rule than "you must choose Christianity"? I think you misunderstand the importance of religious freedom, more than I misunderstood the impact of Christianity.

I have no doubt that Christianity has influenced a huge range of people throughout history.
 
Mach said:
You brought up founding fathers and Christianity, I was simply pointing out that the bigger influence was enlightenment era thinking, which specifically separated church from government.

Liberty is a hallmark of enlightenment thinking, and that includes religious liberty...not the destroying of religion. How can one have religious liberty if it's not separated from government?

You have the freedom to enjoy the religion of your choice as a byproduct of that. Isn't that more important than which religion you specifically adhere to? We're talking about ethics...rules that everyone can follow...each person can choose or not choose their own religion. Isn't that a better rule than "you must choose Christianity"? I think you misunderstand the importance of religious freedom, more than I misunderstood the impact of Christianity.

I have no doubt that Christianity has influenced a huge range of people throughout history.
Click to expand...

Well said. Very fair assessment.
 
Roger Duke said:
You also cannot argue that it still has a strong influence.
Click to expand...
I caught this after it was too late to edit.
Should be:
You cannot argue that it does not have a strong influence today.
 
Mach said:
You brought up founding fathers and Christianity, I was simply pointing out that the bigger influence was enlightenment era thinking, which specifically separated church from government.

Liberty is a hallmark of enlightenment thinking, and that includes religious liberty...not the destroying of religion. How can one have religious liberty if it's not separated from government?

You have the freedom to enjoy the religion of your choice as a byproduct of that. Isn't that more important than which religion you specifically adhere to? We're talking about ethics...rules that everyone can follow...each person can choose or not choose their own religion. Isn't that a better rule than "you must choose Christianity"? I think you misunderstand the importance of religious freedom, more than I misunderstood the impact of Christianity.

I have no doubt that Christianity has influenced a huge range of people throughout history.
Click to expand...
I agree with Jacksprat. That was a great post.
Of course I don't deny the influence of the enlightenment, but much to the disappointment of atheists, it didn't really destroy religion. It did however diminish the power of the church.
The enlightenment was an enemy of the established church but so was Christ. Both are still alive and well but it's no secret the church is in decline....something that was predicted long ago.
 
Roger Duke said:
Have you ever asked yourself where your moral and political beliefs come from?
If so, did you ever find an answer that satisfied you?
Click to expand...
I was brought up to believe that there was good and evil in the world, and that we have a choice to pursue one or the other.
Early on I decided I'd rather be good than evil. That's the basis for my moral decisions.

As Maya Angelou said "when someone shows you who they are, believe them?" As I became politically aware (post Nixon)
I learned of people who I found "evil" and did not want to associate with.....Ken Starr, Ralph Reed, Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich to name a few, so I left my Independent home, and became a registered Democrat.

Things haven't changed much for me. There's a crazy far left segment that I have nothing to do with, but they are very weak within the party. The crazy far right is currently running the Republican Party, and are a genuine threat to our country.
 
Galactic Spin said:
No deference to magical sky daddies

Well being of human beings

That's more a definition than a foundation. And it suffices.
Click to expand...
Oh, it doesn't really have a foundation.
But it is called humanism so maybe it holds humans in high regard.....like Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson. If not, which humans?
 
Galactic Spin said:
Secular humanism.
Click to expand...

The left is anything but humanist. For just one example, consider environmentalism, where leftists place the interests of frogs and mosquitos above the interests of human beings.
 
aociswundumho said:
The left is anything but humanist. For just one example, consider environmentalism, where leftists place the interests of frogs and mosquitos above the interests of human beings.
Click to expand...
Thank you for that irrelevant whining. Not really.
 
aociswundumho said:
The left is anything but humanist. For just one example, consider environmentalism, where leftists place the interests of frogs and mosquitos above the interests of human beings.
Click to expand...
The interest of human beings is common with the interest of frogs and mosquitos, environmentally.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom