Secular Society
When you boil down all the whining, complaining, and outrage over just about anything religion gets involved with. Why should we want to have a secular society? Why should we accept a secular society? What is a secular society? Three questions cause so many arguments and a lot of hatred.
Let me tackle the last question first. What is a secular society? This is a rather interesting question really. While I can't speak for everyone I think my idea of a secular society would be agreed upon by most. My idea of a secular society would definitely include religious freedom. In fact there would only be a few things you would have to keep in mind. The main one is you have complete freedom to do as you wish up to the point it affects other people. When dealing with public keep your religious out of it. Let's say you own a business it shouldn't matter what your customer does in their private life or what they believe. That doesn't affect you in any way because it's just business. When it comes to politics the politicians personal beliefs doesn't matter. As long as they say what they mean to do, stick to what they say, and follow their constituents vote they are doing their job. Nothing else matters. Public land is exactly that public. Therefore, there should be nothing about religion on this land. private land the owner may do with it as they wish. Once again as long as it doesn't affect other people. This is basically a separation of church and society. When this is the case then we truly have religious freedom.
The next question I would like to address is, why should we want to have a secular society? This one was almost answered when I described what a secular society would be. When personal freedom is the goal then keeping your personal beliefs out of the public is the only way to have freedom and still have peace. One of the most talked about things right now is the LGBT discrimination that is being done by Christians. Rather it's about marriage, raising children, or anything else for that matter. It really only comes down to one question. Does it affect you? An example of this would be gay marriage. Does a man marrying a man affect you an in way? Does a woman marrying a woman affect you in any way? Besides the religious and even the knee jerk emotional reaction this may bring up does it affect you and your life in any way? Of course the answer is no. Therefor, let them do it. You are perfectly welcome to tell them you don't approve. Although the best way to deal with something you don't agree with is to not do it yourself. You don't like the idea of gay marriage, then don't marry someone of the same gender. See how simple life would really be when you only have to look at what other people do through the one question that really matters?
The last question is, why should we accept a secular society? This one is really easy to answer and I have a hard time figuring out why this is such a problem. The answer is personal freedom. The main idea the US was built on. Personal freedom is the key component in any secular society. You are allowed to think, say, and do anything as long as it doesn't affect other people. You can plaster your house with signs saying "God hates fags" if that is something you really want to say. You could preach on the street corners the end times are coming. You can put up a giant cross in your yard while the person next door puts up a giant Beelzebub statue. The KKK member across the street could be burning a cross. While the black atheist next door puts up a giant Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. statue. (Yes, I know these are stereotypes but I'm just making a point) You can hate each other vehemently and yet allow each other the ability to express themselves as they wish. One of the more common legitimate arguments against this idea is, "Wouldn't this be offensive?" The answer to that is also simple, of course it would. However, since when do people have the right to not be offended? I get offended all the time and some of it has ended up in this blog. However, I would never deny someone the right to be offencive unless it was on my property, in my home, or in a private organization with rules against such a thing.
The key to living in a secular society is letting people be as they wish as long as it doesn't affect others. Once you cross that line you no longer belong in society.
My name is rug. This my blog, my salute to personal freedom, my scream into the void, my effort to remove ignorance, my place to speak my mind, and that's what I think.
Let me tackle the last question first. What is a secular society? This is a rather interesting question really. While I can't speak for everyone I think my idea of a secular society would be agreed upon by most. My idea of a secular society would definitely include religious freedom. In fact there would only be a few things you would have to keep in mind. The main one is you have complete freedom to do as you wish up to the point it affects other people. When dealing with public keep your religious out of it. Let's say you own a business it shouldn't matter what your customer does in their private life or what they believe. That doesn't affect you in any way because it's just business. When it comes to politics the politicians personal beliefs doesn't matter. As long as they say what they mean to do, stick to what they say, and follow their constituents vote they are doing their job. Nothing else matters. Public land is exactly that public. Therefore, there should be nothing about religion on this land. private land the owner may do with it as they wish. Once again as long as it doesn't affect other people. This is basically a separation of church and society. When this is the case then we truly have religious freedom.
The next question I would like to address is, why should we want to have a secular society? This one was almost answered when I described what a secular society would be. When personal freedom is the goal then keeping your personal beliefs out of the public is the only way to have freedom and still have peace. One of the most talked about things right now is the LGBT discrimination that is being done by Christians. Rather it's about marriage, raising children, or anything else for that matter. It really only comes down to one question. Does it affect you? An example of this would be gay marriage. Does a man marrying a man affect you an in way? Does a woman marrying a woman affect you in any way? Besides the religious and even the knee jerk emotional reaction this may bring up does it affect you and your life in any way? Of course the answer is no. Therefor, let them do it. You are perfectly welcome to tell them you don't approve. Although the best way to deal with something you don't agree with is to not do it yourself. You don't like the idea of gay marriage, then don't marry someone of the same gender. See how simple life would really be when you only have to look at what other people do through the one question that really matters?
The last question is, why should we accept a secular society? This one is really easy to answer and I have a hard time figuring out why this is such a problem. The answer is personal freedom. The main idea the US was built on. Personal freedom is the key component in any secular society. You are allowed to think, say, and do anything as long as it doesn't affect other people. You can plaster your house with signs saying "God hates fags" if that is something you really want to say. You could preach on the street corners the end times are coming. You can put up a giant cross in your yard while the person next door puts up a giant Beelzebub statue. The KKK member across the street could be burning a cross. While the black atheist next door puts up a giant Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. statue. (Yes, I know these are stereotypes but I'm just making a point) You can hate each other vehemently and yet allow each other the ability to express themselves as they wish. One of the more common legitimate arguments against this idea is, "Wouldn't this be offensive?" The answer to that is also simple, of course it would. However, since when do people have the right to not be offended? I get offended all the time and some of it has ended up in this blog. However, I would never deny someone the right to be offencive unless it was on my property, in my home, or in a private organization with rules against such a thing.
The key to living in a secular society is letting people be as they wish as long as it doesn't affect others. Once you cross that line you no longer belong in society.
My name is rug. This my blog, my salute to personal freedom, my scream into the void, my effort to remove ignorance, my place to speak my mind, and that's what I think.
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