[extropy-chat] Atheists launch inquisition...

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Giu1i0 Pri5c0 <pgptag at gmail.com> wrote:
> I also stand behind anybody who peacefully practices their faith 
> (including atheism).
> My main  point, which perhaps I have not expressed clearly enough, is
> this: politics created strange bedfellows, and I have the impression 
> that you are now seeing christian *fundamentalists* as allies of 
> libertarians in US politics (a couple of weeks ago a guy posted a
> very interesting explanation of how christian *fundamentalists* and 
> libertarians manage to peacefully coexist in the Republican party).
> And I wish to warn you that, in my opinion, some of them, including
> some very close to the political powers that be, do not limit
> themselves to peacefully practicing their faith, but actively try
> to force their faith 
> upon everyone else. The fact that they are in power makes them 
> dangerous. Especially dangerous for Extropians when they try to shut 
> down all medical research which could lead to human enhancement.

I know several devoutly religious christian families who also are
libertarians. In their opinion, a true christian SHOULD be a
libertarian, and in their opinion is why one can believe that the US
was founded by christians, based on christian precepts, while at the
same time embracing tolerance and respect for other faiths. They find
that christianity is:
a) an inherently personal faith of a personal relationship with christ,
which cannot be imposed by government, but at the same time cannot be
suppressed by government restrictions on people testifying to their
faith.
b) a faith that requires that individuals be free to choose to sin or
not, provided only that they do not harm others (an incredibly
important caveat). Victimless "crimes" therefore, should not be
regulated or prosecuted by the state, morality should not be
legislated. If you are prevented by the state from choosing to sin or
not, then you cannot attain grace through virtue.

Just as it is wrong for the state to impose morality, it is even more
wrong for the state to impose sin upon persons of faith. Forcing a
person to pay money in taxes, which are spent on what that persons
faith tells them is murder, is inherently wrong. For that reason, state
subsidies for abortion or stem cell research that aborts fetuses, is
also inherently wrong, no matter how beneficial you or I believe that
research is. If you believe it is beneficial, you should pay for it.

At the same time, until science can prove that a fetus is a person, it
would be wrong for government to impose the morality of banning
abortion. Because of the prevalence of premee births, third trimester
abortion is rightly regulated and/or banned. Because of the proven lack
of neural development in first trimester fetuses, abortion is rightly
unregulated during that period. The rest is grey area left to science
to prove or disprove.

=====
Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


		
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