2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures bomb books budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal portland mayor president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes television terrorism theater third parties timber payments transportation union university of oregon violence washington water wildfire women

Yes, I want separation of church and state. The government should be completely neutral when it comes to groups that promote “ faith” as a virtue.

To my mind faith is not a virtue. “Faith” is defined as accepting something as true even if there is no evidence to support such a belief. This is irrational.

Ideally the government should oppose all types of irrational thinking. But we have seen the utter failure of the Soviet Union’s efforts to do this. For reasons I don’t fully understand, outright opposition to faith groups only seems to make them stronger.

The U.S. tradition of being neutral towards groups claiming that faith-based belief is a virtue seems to have been the best policy for promoting rational evidence-based thinking.

All levels of government should actively avoid entanglements with the “Faith-based community.”

The “Season of Service” plan being discussed on the morning of 7 October 2010 is a bad idea.

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
view in context

As a child my religious examples ranged from a very religious Presbyterian mother to a non religious geologist father. At the age of twelve I was thrown out of confirmation class because of my questions as to how one could interpret ?The Apostles? Creed.? I recall having a particular problem reconciling the concept of the Trinity with monotheism.

?Young man, if you can?t accept the Creed exactly as written, you are not a Christian.? is what the minister said. So I left Christianity and became an observer of religion.

That was sixty four years ago. I had the good fortune to meet and marry a girl who had a similar disbelief in God, Heaven and Hell. We are both strong believers in the golden rule, at least where it can be logically applied.

I am happy with my choice not to fight my ?excommunication? from Christianity. I am proud to have seen the light at the tender age of 12.

posted 4 years, 11 months ago
view in context