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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (192847)	10/17/2001 2:35:46 AM
From: greenspirit	Respond to of 769667

JF, I disagree with the following sentence from your post. "Morality requires common sense thought which I would argue is more characteristic of the non-religious." I would say individual morality is equally shared among religious and non religious people, and I don't believe one is automatically better or worse than another. People are individuals, and individuals can act moral or not based on a lot of factors unrelated to their religious beliefs. Having said that, I also believe societies which have religion faith as a foundation, tend to create an environment around which higher moral principles are acted on and take root. I'll give you an example... Where I work, each year, we pass out a paper which lists all the charities in the Combined Federal Campaign. Each year, I search through the list and decide who I will contribute to. While searching, I sometimes decide to go on the web and do a little more research into how these organizations were started. What shaped their vision, and who were their founding members. I've noticed practically ALL the charities which directly help other people, The Red Cross, the Salvation Army etc. were begun by people with deeply held religious beliefs. Their religious belief's gave them the strength to overcome adversary and sacrifice much of their life to the cause of the organization. That desire to align their religious principles with their life's work, created some of the largest charitable organizations in the world. Many of which help millions all over the planet. On the other hand, the charitable organizations which help animals or the environment are not closely linked to a religious beginning (Actually they are, but the founders would probably not admit as much, getting back to my original assertion). Have you ever wondered why this is so? Additionally, have you ever wondered why America is such a giving nation as compared to the rest of the world. Sure, some of it has to do with our wealth. However, even when per-capita income is factored in we out-give every other country on earth by a large margin. Why? I believe much of the reason why is because we were begun by people who predominately shared a Judea-Christian philosophy. Through our religious background we have come to the realization that giving to our fellow man, to help lift them out of despair and poverty, is a part of the tapestry which makes us whole, noble, and virtuous. For some reason, these kind of deeply held mental models are not shared in quite the same way with other nations. We are unique and blessed in that regard. When polled, people will say by nearly 90% that they are Christians. So, whether we preach in public or not, whether we say a Hail Mary or not, whether we worship in a church, or choose to do neither, we are a christian nation. That is to say, we are a nation full of people who consider themselves to be christians. Because I say that it doesn't mean I don't admire and respect other cultures, other religions, other people's way of life, or Americans who don't believe in God. I simply recognize our reality for what it is. I also have a tremendous amount of pride in what our ancestors have sacrificed to build here in this unique (yes deeply blessed) place on planet earth.