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Reader comment on item: Bibliography – My Writings on Not Trusting CAIR
in response to reader comment: Veritas addendum

Submitted by Pro-Israeli Democrat (United States), Sep 20, 2006 at 00:20

You are absolutely right. One of the reasons that Christianity has fared so well (and in my opinion one of the things that makes it such as great world religion) is its compatability with a free, secular, liberal society. Christians, by and large, have learned that faith and politics are best served as seperate entities. Now, is Christianity itself the foundation of freedom? Certainly it is a foundation (when we take compassion and goodwill into account). There is a great deal of compassion and goodwill to be found with the Bible.

Nevertheless, I believe that secular, enlightenment-era philosophy is the greatest foundation of freedom, at least in the Western sense. Judeo-Chrstian principles lie at America's roots. But they share those roots with the principles of the Enlightenment.The notion of a "Christian nation" can be dispelled. One of the main reasons we have church-state separation is, in fact, to enable us to retain our pluralistic nature. You should have a right to practice whatever faith you want to (or none at all, for that matter).

I am not a far-leftist or a socialist and, in fact, only opposed the Iraq war due to strategic reasons...Id rather have struck Iran instead. I am pro-Israeli, pro-2nd amendment and pro-privitization. However, I am also a social liberal: pro-woman, pro-choice (I am probably more pro-choice than many women, and proud of it), anti-intelligent design, pro-gay, pro Roe v. Wade, and pro-contraceptive. I know people of faith (from Buddhists to Baptists) who feel the same way.

I am critical of religious dogma, yet respect what people of faith (both liberals and conservatives) do and believe. What disturbs me about calls for a "Christian nation" is this: that is what Pat Buchanan (Mr. Jew-hater and Mr. Israel basher himself) has called for. A nation that uses theology as its sole basis for law would probably wind up looking something like Ayatollah Khomeini's "Islamic Paradise" or Muhammad Khatami's "Islamic Democracy."

I think that Katherine Harris' recent diatribe in Florida basically affirms this. It was both insulting to Jews like myself (since, if elected, we will apparently "legislate sin" like "gay marriage") and remarkably embarassing. She even said "God decides our rulers (not leaders, but rulers)"... so much for democracy. That is theocratic monarchism ala Saudi Arabia, and I was happy to see the Republicans distance themselves from theocratic monarchism. What will happen to non-Christians? The call for America to become a Christian nation is simply not feesible. There is enough diversity within Chrstianity alone to demonstrate this (with everything ranging from Evangelical Protestants to Armenians and Copts).

It also runs contrary to the versatility and adaptability of the Judeo-Christian tradition, which is so versitile percisely BECAUSE it can deal with life in a nation of secular laws. This means dealing with the realities of our time: abortion, stem-cell research, evolution, and science. Evolution is not, as Ann Coulter suggests, a "liberal" hoax, as we have known about evolution since BEFORE Darwin. And really, how could the liberals create such an elaborate scheme to "forge" dinosaur fossils or fix the geological timescale. One who believes such a thing is a conspiracy theorist of the worst order. Christians, who have long since accepted life in a secular society (which actually benefits them) should not be doing what Muslims are in trying to end the separation of God and State (unless one considers a head-chopping absolute monarchy a "free society").

Submitting....

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Reader comments (44) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Eye for and eye..... [45 words]Mary MorganNov 24, 2006 10:1267159
Islamofascist [26 words]terrorfreeAug 23, 2006 11:2053833
Why CAIR Is Not o Be Trusted [69 words]S.C.PandaAug 1, 2006 02:4151354
CAIR [28 words]therionJun 16, 2006 21:4847804
1CAIR is a Muslim version of KKK [316 words]ChristinaJun 11, 2006 13:3447456
Attempt to Attack the Truth of Islam" [204 words]PeaceNov 16, 2009 20:2447456
Islamophobia: An Unfortunate, Contemporary Reality [881 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratMay 29, 2006 23:2546669
Why Cair is not to be trusted [60 words]mikeJun 7, 2006 17:2546669
Defending Democracy [337 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratJun 8, 2006 08:5546669
To the pro israeli democrat [157 words]mikeJun 8, 2006 19:0046669
Clarifying "isolation" [719 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratJun 9, 2006 20:1546669
Pro-Israeli Democrat : A few questions that require a few answers, please [229 words]InfidelSep 7, 2006 02:5546669
To Infidel [1004 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratSep 8, 2006 10:0346669
The Bridegroom and the Bride [639 words]MichaelSep 9, 2006 21:1446669
People are very thin-skinned here [213 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratSep 10, 2006 19:4046669
Veritas [800 words]MichaelSep 17, 2006 22:5146669
Veritas addendum [128 words]MichaelSep 18, 2006 22:0346669
Yes and No... [569 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratSep 20, 2006 00:2046669
To see requires a willingness [183 words]MichaelSep 20, 2006 21:0646669
Naked and exposed [136 words]AbijahSep 24, 2006 14:4446669
Its a Matter of Free Will [419 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratSep 24, 2006 19:1146669
And by the way... [130 words]Pro-Israeli DemocratSep 24, 2006 19:2846669
secularism did cause 9/11 [61 words]fundamentalistSep 24, 2008 16:4546669
"Muslims and Christians would have lived in peace if it weren't for the secular thoughts that plagued the western world IMO. " -- fundamentalist [39 words]KristaSep 25, 2008 10:5746669
fundamentalist what? [58 words]bosSep 25, 2008 13:4246669
The best tactic with respect to CAIR is exposure, and more exposure [153 words]SullyMay 28, 2006 21:5646595
Let's stop this smear campaign against CAIR [606 words]HQCMay 27, 2006 16:5546533
Wolves and Rabbits [61 words]InfidelSep 7, 2006 12:4546533
Give me a break! [105 words]MichaelSep 8, 2006 21:5046533
CAIR - AGENDA AND MOTIVES [220 words]Lou StouchMay 17, 2006 20:0245835
Teaching Christian Values to Muslims [157 words]InfidelSep 7, 2006 13:0745835
CAIR -- the fifth column of Islamic Jihad in America [84 words]Dr RJPMay 16, 2006 21:1145764
What 'CAIR' is Really An Acronym For... [9 words]RobertMay 15, 2006 16:1545666
Islamophobia? [187 words]Ruth LowryMay 14, 2006 22:1545611
It's Nazism Redux with an Islamic Face [456 words]MichaelMay 14, 2006 19:2845598
pre - islamic culture was boycoted [45 words]cyrusMay 15, 2006 15:5745598
Thank you Michael [166 words]Ruth LowryMay 15, 2006 20:2045598
Cyrus is Eternally Memorialized [318 words]MichaelMay 16, 2006 22:3145598
thank you michael [56 words]cyrusMay 17, 2006 15:5645598
Ignorance in America [300 words]MuslimJun 1, 2006 02:0645598
The Best is Yet to Come! [305 words]MichaelJun 1, 2006 20:3945598
Response to Muslim, Is islam really religion of peace? [117 words]N. KhanJun 16, 2006 17:4045598
Michael, Muslims are not terrified [215 words]InfidelSep 7, 2006 13:5945598
I know that my Savior lives! [188 words]MichaelSep 7, 2006 22:0345598

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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