Heaven Help Us

[Mortblanc]

Again, you are placing all "religions" in a generic pot and labeling them as negative based on the actions of a few power and control freaks.

You can not separate "religion" from fear of the government or separate the concept of religion not being a branch of government. I suppose that is ingrained in the culture with the Queen being head of the COE.

On top of that your "state religion" has become so weak that there is the distinct possibility that it might be replaced, by a newer belief system with more devoted believers imposing their will as the stronger majority.

(I can't see British atheists giving it much of a go against radical Muslims)

Many nations have constitutional guarantees of separation between church and state, but that is not part of your heritage either. Therefore one religion could supplant the other as "state approved" by simple vote of the majority.

One of the things that many people from GB visiting over here note, especially if they are traveling in the southern part of our nation, is the density of the number of churches and the diverse number of various denominational labels. Between my home and the trap ranges is a 2 mile drive and I pass 6 different churches in that distance.

We co-exist very well and in the history of the US there have been only 3 martyrs to my quick recollection. We have so much religious diversity that no one group can take control over the others and none can take control of the government.

The other thing I note seems to be the belief that all religions want to keep you from some pleasure or make you do something you do not wish to do. Most of us do not care what anyone does, as long as you are not in our face with it, or expect us to pay for it with our taxes.

Our controls are internal. I will meet the standards I have accepted to be a part of my group. Those standards are not imposed on outsiders. I do not expect "non-believers" to follow my beliefs. I most definitely do not want anyone to be forced to join my group!

Non-believers have the right to go unmolested in their unbelief, or in whatever belief they promote, just as I have the right to believe as I do.

I do expect them to follow normal cultural standards of behavior, which is why we have a legal system that is separate from the religious system. In most cases I hold myself to a higher standard of behavior that the legal system.

But, I will not accept a decision from that legal system that over rides my religious beliefs. At that point we cross into the realm of civil disobedience, passive resistance, and group action.