(no subject)

[dolari]

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris told a religious journal that separation of church and state is "a lie" and God and the nation's founding fathers did not intend the country be "a nation of secular laws."

The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate also said that if Christians are not elected, politicians will "legislate sin," including abortion and gay marriage.

Harris made the comments — which she clarified Saturday — in the Florida Baptist Witness, the weekly journal of the Florida Baptist State Convention, which interviewed political candidates and asked them about religion and their positions on issues.

Separation of church and state is "a lie we have been told," Harris said in the interview, published Thursday, saying separating religion and politics is "wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers."

"If you're not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin," Harris said.

I can't get to Canada soon enough.

Comments

[madrona.livejournal.com]

As a Christian, I'm just going to say this:

Separation of Church and State...say it with me now...

PROTECTS THE CHURCH.

srsly, when religion focuses on maintaining its worldly power, it gets corrupt. Doesn't take the AP history track to know that. Making government separate from organized religion? Gives organized religion room to thrive through the freedom to focus on its intended purpose. Which is why Christianity is taken more seriously in the US, where there is no state religion, than in, oh, England, where up until quite recently you actually had to be Anglican in order to hold a government position. This goes hand in hand with the whole "Christ is a choice" thing, and this is why I can't stand hard-sell evangelists. What kind of dumbass does it take to think you can coerce goodness? You try and you get whitewashed badness, that's what.

Ahem. Sorry for rant, but the neocons *bother* me.

[jandanadur.livejournal.com]

We Brits have state-religion? I know the Church of England is technically... well... the Church of England, but it is hardly like non-CoE are oppressed. Even many of our Christian politicians have been less than model... Newton, for example...

[makkabee.livejournal.com]

All depends on how you define "recently." Catholic emancipation was a 19th century phenomenon, as I recall. Longer than living memory but the time since is still a fairly small fraction of English/British history.

I don't actually know when Parliament started allowing non-Christians to hold office. Disraeli was an Anglican convert if I remember correctly, so his career doesn't tell us one way or the other.