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Originally Posted by garysher  Infact the shoe is on the other foot.
Whilst you have no way of avoiding paying taxes to support programs which you may oppose, such as the Iraq War, you still have the freedom to choose your religion, or lack thereof, in a country with a state run religion. | Not necessarily. The state religion can be imposed on citizens, other religions can be forbidden or criminalized. Quote: Quote: |
Tolerance as per your definition means to allow or endure something you dislike or disagree with, whereas respect means knowing it is not your responsibility to "allow" something, that person has an equal right to free belief.
| You are working very hard to parse words in an effort to support your semantical argument.
If homosexual marriage became legal do you think that means people would respect homosexuals any more or less?
If abortion were made illegal would people respect that decision or merely tolerate it?[/quote]
| Legality of something doesn't require respect. Theoretically, legality does require tolerance, but when the law cannot be enforced it cannot enforce tolerance either. People's minds are not changed by criminalization or decriminalization. That is why the numbers of abortion were just as high before 1973 when abortion was decriminalized. Quote: Quote: | "Surviving" is not the issue. Living with respect for one's personal beliefs is the issue. Living with equality regardless of one's beliefs is the issue. | __________________And how is equality of religious belief compromised in western countries that have state religions?
Ironically I can't think of any other western country that believes its foundational principles are God given!!
Like many Americans I think you are a victim of "World Series Syndrome". |
This country doesn't "believe" its foundational principles are God given! That is just a minority composed of fundamentalists speaking.
True freedom of religion means adherents of all religions and of none have equal access to public areas and equality under the law. That means the followers of a majority religion must refrain from forcing their precepts upon the rest of the population by using the force of law. It doesn't always happen in this country, but it is extremely unlikely to happen in a country with a state religion. The greatest danger to liberty lurks in the insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.
--Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis |