Whats the difference between politics and religion, for example, is gay marriage a religious/political topic?

Question

Is Gay Marriage a topic for religious discussion or is it a political discussion?

Is Abortion a topic for religious discussion or is it a political discussion?

Is Evolution a religious discussion or is it a scientific discussion?
Followup - Is the discussion of intelligent design being taught in schools a religious or a political discussion?

Answer 1

Good Question!

My firm belief is that we really need to keep religion out of politics. Religion is something which is faith - based, whereas politics, at least in the countries of the west, is something which is fuelled by "The People" - as in parliamentary democracies.

The Parliamentary democratic system was set up a looong time ago to try and remove the loopiness of a lot of religions from questions such as yours where we needed an opinion from ALL citizens.

We are so lucky to have a system where, no matter how small or insignificant you feel, YOU still have a say in what goes on!

Take Australia's Green party as a perfect example! A small, very dedicated band of folks who have a really wonderful - albeit very different - political agenda. They've managed to get their voice heard and now have a small but growing band of representatives in all levels of Government in my country, as well as spreading their message of hope all over the world. From a tiny seed of a beginning in a tiny place called Tasmania, the idea has been so attractive to so many people in democratic nations that we're getting our voice heard loud and clear, in the places where it really matters!!!

This has come about because, unlike the US, there's a good separation between Church and State as well as Big Business and the State in places such as Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Britain, Canada etc.

So, to answer your questions: Gay Marriage should be up to Individuals. It's neither political or religious. It's moral, and that's a personal choice. We should all be very much more tolerant of differing moral values than I currently see!!!

Abortion: Same same. It's a moral decision that should be left in the hands of the person having to make that decision.

Evolution: This is science. There's nothing to suggest that "Intelligent Design" has ANY basis in anything but a bunch of religious zealot's heads, so it should be left in the realm of the religious class.It should only be offered as a subject in private schools. It SHOULD not be touted as a serious alternative to a scientific discipline and given status in the public school's science curriculum.

hope this helps!

Love and Light,

Jarrah

Answer 2

Gay Marriage is generally a political issue, since a legal marriage has nothing to do with getting married in a place of worship and it's all about tax exemptions.

Abortion is also a political issue. The Supreme Court never ruled whether people should abort only that they can. People do lots of morally right and wrong things which is irrelevant to a nation except regarding the political policy concerning punishment. Currently there is no punishment or reward for having an abortion politically.

Evolution is a political issue as well because the government grants money to colleges who advocate it and can use it as a way of classifying "endangered" species in order to make political reform. Example, some rare form of an existing species is discovered so rather than allow it to go extinct the government can buy up the land where it lives so that later they can tap the resources there or sell it back.

Answer 3

1) Politics is control by man; religion is control by God.
2) Homosexual marriage, being forbidden by God, would be a political matter.
3) Abortion, however, is both a political (population management) and religious (murder of the innocent) subject.
4) Evolution is both political/educational and religious (as some religions capitulate to evolutionists and give 'em the billions of years and say that's how God "worked.")

5) Intelligent Design is a whole other ball game because it is still rather nebulously defined. At heart, it is an effort to get others to admit the obvious evidence that life is too complex to arise by currently seen processes. In development, it is always seen as a back door for God. Personally, I know that my God doesn't need a back door; He kicks the wall in. So I'm okay with leaving out "intelligent design," tho I would be happier to see more honest "scientists."

Answer 4

You can talk about these in both contexts, but if you stick to not mixing church and state your discussion changes just a bit.

For an example, I'll use the gay marriage issue. If you look at what the state is supposed to do, marrying people isn't really one of them. All the government is doing is recognizing a legally binding relationship between two parties, a relationship that provides certain liabilities and benefits with certain tax implications. Notice the government has nothing to do with the spiritual side of marriage, that is left up to the church of your choice. (This also extends into dissolving a marriage; the government grants a divorce, but that doesn't mean anything to Catholics for example. The church has to annul the marriage.)

When I keep church and state separate, the discussion is easy for me. I don't expect the government to legislate morality. That you can find on your own.

Answer 5

Oh sticky question.

Politics is the compromise we have to make to pay for the things we want. We can't aford everything, so we have to make tough choices, and elect politicians, to make them for us. If it was easy to balance the books, we would not need them.

Gay Marriage is about inheritance tax, do the state officially recognise the partner of a same sex relationship, and thus give them tax relief on inheriting the deceased parnters estate when they die. Also it is a law issue, has the partner any standing over the estate on divorce?

Abortion is onbly a political question when it comes to state payment of the fees. However the church wants to ban it, and thus force girls onto the strrets to get ileagal abortions, so it has become a political question.

Evolution is a scientific subject, the bible and its stories have no place in the science room, and the mythology of inteligent design (sic) should be kept to religious discusion and away from science, for it has no empirical base, and is thus not a science.

Religion like to control - so it will poke its nose into area's that it has no relavance or integretity to do so. 'Render unto Ceaser what is Ceasers'

Answer 6

Because people's religious beliefs often guide their political actions, they fit into both. Unfortunately, this blurred line often causes issues to be more complex than they need be. To use your example of gay marriage, while many want to protect the sanctity of marriage -- as a religious sacrament -- they often confuse this with civic marriage, which is separate from what is or isn't recognized by any church. For example, while many people get married in a church, in a ceremony officiated by a priest or minister, that marriage has no civic meaning if you don't have a secular marriage certificate.

When people say they don't want to allow gay marriage because it's Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve, or that the Bible doesn't condone same sex marriage, that they don't want their church marrying same sex couples. That's all fine and well. Let each church deterime that. But same sex couples should be allowed secular marrage.

You can follow the same thought process to examine abortion or evloution.

Answer 7

You are describing the attempts of the religious to impose religious rules on the rest of society, not politics in general.

Gay marriage, abortion, and intelligent design are simply the issues that have caught the interest of fundamentalists at large, and a few other Christians and other religions, as well. Gay marriage & abortion are attempts to prevent people from having rights over their own lives. Teaching intelligent design is an attempt to install a particular religious point of view into science.

None of these are on their own political issues. It is only when religion enters the discussion that they take on a political tone. After all, we are a republic, and people are allowed to argue. However, I don't think anyone would agree that it is WISE to allow religion to dictate the behavior of non-believers.

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Answer 8

I think that Gay Marriage is a legal and religious issue. The fact is that the laws were voted on by the majority, so right or wrong, it is done. Most religions whether Christian, Mormon, Muslim, or otherwise do not believe in gay unions of any kind. This won't change a person's personal views, but these are the facts, and until the majority believes or votes another direction this is the way it will remain.

Answer 9

I believe gay marriage and abortion to be topics of politics, but I can see how one's particular beliefs can move them into the scope of religion.

I believe evolution to be a topic of Science.

ID should be discussed in Humanities or Comparative Religion classes.

Answer 10

Gay marriage is a political debate.its forbidden in Ro 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Ro 1:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
Ro 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
also in Timothy.Politics allow it in certain states.
Again abortion is murder.Politics allow it in certain states.

I believe Evolution is being taught because Politics took Prayer and God Out of the schools.