I usually steer clear of asking or answering religious or political questions but this has been on my mind so here goes:
Why do some people rationalize everything with "because Jesus said so in the bible"? I know a girl in one of my classes yesterday and the topic was gay marriage. She said gay marriage is wrong and shouldn't be allowed because the bible says its wrong and Jesus doesn't like gay marriage. Same goes for abortion (but she's FOR capital punishment).
Do some people not realize that not EVERYONE is a Christian. Not EVERYONE believes in the bible so why should EVERYONE have to live their life by it.? Isn't there a separation of church and state? So why does she believe that laws should be based on the bible?
Like I said, I usually stay away from political and religious questions but I just had to ask his one.
2007-11-16 22:21:02 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
The bible should have nothing to do with our laws.
The US was founded as a secular society with freedom of religion. The part of the constitution that deals with religion is the FIRST amendment, and that shows the priority the founders gave to the free exercise of religion and the avoidance of church and state entanglement.
Religious conservatives have a different view of the first amendment; a view which is completely contrary to the intentions of the founders of the US. They will say that the first amendment prevents the government from running a church or from designating an "official" church. They use this argument to justify the handout of federal tax dollars to various "faith based" charities. They would like to skirt all the laws that say the government cannot financially support churches.
Next, right wingers say the constitution does not contain the words "separation of church and state", so this principle does not exist. They ignore the fact that this is the way the first amendment has been interpreted by the courts and our legislaures for more than 200 years.
Finally, they say that all of our laws were founded on Judeo Christian principles. This sounds more sophisticated and reasonable than saying that US laws are founded on the Bible, but that is exactly what they mean.( At the same time, they criticize Muslim nations for having sharia or Koran based laws.)
US laws are NOT based on the bible, the 10 commandments or Judeo Christian principles. Our laws derive from the English common law, which itself was based on Roman law, Norman French law, and the traditions of the Anglo-Saxon tribes. Consider for a moment all the parts of the bible where God tells the Israelites to slaughter all the men, and rape all the women who worship false gods, and where Jesus simply tells people they should obey Caesar. And just what kind of law did Caesar follow?
Of course, if we falsely say that US law is based on the Bible then we can also ban gay marriage, and perhaps even exclude gays from civil rights protections under the law. The belief that our laws derive from the bible is really an attempt to get a blank check to change a lot of laws including the laws against torture and cruel and inhuman punishment. I suppose you've also heard people say "an eye for an eye"! as if this is what our laws mandate.
To sum it up, the rhetoric about laws having to conform to biblical principles is part of a movement to make the US into a "Christian" nation. It's really all about forcing one religion on everyone else, and since that is against the principles our nation was founded on, it is clearly and simply un-American.
Your friend probably has these beliefs because she has been raised to believe in a lot of things rather than to question first and reach her own conclusions
2007-11-16 23:15:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋
No. There are some laws that are biblically based that just make sense (Do not steal). There are also some moral principles found in the Bible that anyone with any amount of wisdom should be able to see as a good basis for law. There are some precepts in the Bible that Christians just need to understand that modern society just won't accept, at least some portions of society anyway (gay marriage / homosexuality). The trick that seems to be in finding compromise, or even the willingness to compromise. I can see the Christian's raising their Bibles overhead and crying "No Compromise". What I am saying is that the Christian portion of our society does not need to give up their beliefs, but just understand that this is a secular nation, and Legislating beliefs does not work. If believers can't win those who do not believe by the example of their lives and works in that society, legislation will never do the job for them. Conversely, there are those (not all) who seem to think that it is OK to target Christians and all that they hold dear, and it's fine to do so. You can't make a slur against anyone but a Christian in todays society, but they are fair game. Anyone who subscribes to that line of thinking about any single group is a fool of the first order, and a bigot to boot. That is just as hypocritical as any Sunday morning Bible thumper I've ever known. Non believers DO NOT have any more right to force their beliefs (or non belief) on everyone else than Christians have the right to force the Bible down others throats. There is room in this nation for both.
The whole Church and State thing is such a stretch from what the Constitution says it's really embarrassing that there are those "enlightened" members of society willing to make the arguements that they make.
2007-11-16 22:45:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
What you are askng is a question even the founding fathers of our country asked. As you may know not all of the founders of our nation were christian either.
Thomas Jefferson set to answer this question in his own mind when he began his own 'translation' of the New Testament. Basically what he did was copy the teachings of Jesus, but would omit anthing having to do with His divinity or any miricles He worked. He did this just to be able to study the actual teachings of Jesus on how to behave. His conclusion? He wrote that the teachings of Jesus contain the "outlines of a system of the most sublime morality which has ever fallen from the lips of man."
So,if you hold some amount of respect for one of the men responsible for the design of this country, you may find it interesting to note, that though he himself was not a Christian, his ideas of morality and public behavior were almost certainly based on the teachings of Christ.
2007-11-16 22:41:08 · answer #3 · answered by god of thunder 4 · 3⤊ 3⤋
No, not all of our laws should be based upon the Bible but much of our laws are based upon the Bible and Jewish-Christian tradition. The framework for our laws is laid out in the Constitution which includes a bill of rights preventing the U.S. government from establishing a national religion. That same bill of rights allows everyone to worship, or not worship, as they please. The rights were assumed to originate from God, ergo natural rights. The words "separation of church and state" are not in the Constitution but were in a letter that Jefferson wrote.
I am sorry that you are dealing with a Christian that can't give you a reason for her faith. Europe's and America's idea of liberty arose from the Bible. Christ did say love your brother as yourself and that all men are equal. He also said feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit those in prison. I believe that the equal protection clause found in the 14th amendment is Biblically based. Christ also said that he came to free the captives.
I do believe the Bible led to our success and helped to create the West's great technological achievements arising from the West by increasing the talent pool given opportunity to create. I am not Jewish but love the Jewish idea of Tikkun Olam-repair the world.
Europe appears to be post Christian now and I wonder how those changes will play out. As a Christian, I acknowledge your right to work for laws that are consistent with your value system and ask you to respect the right of Christians to work for laws consistent with our value system.
I was amazed after finishing law school & studying the Torah how much of our Uniform Commercial Code mirrors ancient Jewish law. I am horrified when reading some of the passages in the old testament but believe scripture to be inspired by God but not the actual word of God. You have to remember that much of the Old Testament was written in bronze age!
2007-11-16 23:14:57 · answer #4 · answered by Zora 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Not per se, because even though I'm Christian I still believe that this religion is not one to be forced upon people. Christ didn't force it upon his people its a choice. Choice to follow Christ or Choice to follow someone or something else.
Times have changed and people have come to gain new knowledge and understanding.
Some Christian take Christianity to another level and they become radicals. They themselves interpret the word and expect everyone else to interpret the same message when the word is intended to be interpreted individually for each's individual life. What's good for the goose is not always good for the gander.
2007-11-16 22:30:01 · answer #5 · answered by N_Quizitive_1 4 · 4⤊ 1⤋
The laws of the old testament were designed to help a bunch of people get through the stone age
Levitcus makes it a crime to wear wool and cloth (cotton) at the same time. But I am telling tales and the book of levitucus forbids that too. People should be put to death for Adultery; the bible says so: Leviticus again
2007-11-16 23:34:42 · answer #6 · answered by georgieporgie2005uk 3 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Our Laws do come from the Bible as given to Moses by God
Both Jews and Christians believe this and the Bible is also for capital punishment its Not a rationalization to accept what the bible teaches but Jews and Christians believe that God intended us to have life and live it to its full potential. We fail when we rationalize our behaviors and habits. God intended us to love one another and be mercy full to each other. Not to judge each others acts. He is our Judge.
2007-11-16 22:34:04 · answer #7 · answered by johnboy 4 · 1⤊ 4⤋
They are kid.Western Culture[and our laws are based on God's Word.Morals do not appear out of thin air.And you don't have to be a Christian to benefit from those laws.Further,Jefferson's quote is not a part of our Constitution or any other legal documents.It was in a personal letter.And it is never read in its entirety or you'd see he never meant what Secularists say he did.He wanted no established denomination as in England.He didn't want Christianity banned or kept out of the public or government realm.And capital punishment is not at odds with Scripture.
2007-11-16 22:30:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋
Actually, our laws are based on the Code of Hammurabi which predates the Bible by some 1700 years.
2007-11-16 23:01:00 · answer #9 · answered by jurydoc 7 · 2⤊ 3⤋
not in any way we, the world, could be deeper in the mire even more than we are now, and that is bad enough
2007-11-16 23:39:17 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋