The problem, to me, comes when you assume that there is a unitary relationship between a set of religious values and a set of political positions.
Definitely. That's the whole problem with Christian fundamentalism in the U.S. Most of the things people think of as religious arguments are really arguments about definition -- people taking their religious beliefs and reasoning out a political stance from there. Which is perfectly valid -- most people of faith do that -- but it becomes a problem when a person decides that their line of reasoning is the *only* one that is allowed or makes sense.
For example, I have come to think of the abortion debate as not being a religious debate at all -- it's a debate about how people have reasoned about the meaning of life and when it begins. The people who have claimed divine support for their pro-life position cannot, in fact, point to any Scriptural definition of when life begins, because it doesn't exist.
And in fact, people become so invested in their political positions that they lose sight of the bigger picture. When a suicide bombing takes place, laying blame or claiming divine sanction for either side's actions does nothing more than ensure that there will be more suicide bombers. I think it is entirely possible for a person to both condemn the Israeli policies that lead to such despair that people are willing to blow themselves up and also condemn the suicide bombers for their wanton taking of life.
Sometimes, I think God simply looks at us and weeps.
no subject
Definitely. That's the whole problem with Christian fundamentalism in the U.S. Most of the things people think of as religious arguments are really arguments about definition -- people taking their religious beliefs and reasoning out a political stance from there. Which is perfectly valid -- most people of faith do that -- but it becomes a problem when a person decides that their line of reasoning is the *only* one that is allowed or makes sense.
For example, I have come to think of the abortion debate as not being a religious debate at all -- it's a debate about how people have reasoned about the meaning of life and when it begins. The people who have claimed divine support for their pro-life position cannot, in fact, point to any Scriptural definition of when life begins, because it doesn't exist.
And in fact, people become so invested in their political positions that they lose sight of the bigger picture. When a suicide bombing takes place, laying blame or claiming divine sanction for either side's actions does nothing more than ensure that there will be more suicide bombers. I think it is entirely possible for a person to both condemn the Israeli policies that lead to such despair that people are willing to blow themselves up and also condemn the suicide bombers for their wanton taking of life.
Sometimes, I think God simply looks at us and weeps.