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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (54704)	8/15/2002 10:24:23 PM
From: J. C. Dithers	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

I really don't understand why the bright line has to be drawn between the seculars and the religious. Well, I think I have lost track now of when and where I suggested such a line needs to be drawn. For what it's worth, earlier today I started a post to you this way, but didn't complete it or send it: I don't think that captures the essence of religious belief. What one gets from belief in a deity, and beyond that, belief in a particular religion, is a construct of absolute standards for human conduct, arising out of the divine (intended) purpose of this life. The Deist (without a particular religion) may infer such standards, which define "morality," by divining the purpose of life from observation of nature ... what is in accord with the natural order of things and what is not. The Deist may come to believe, for example, that homosexuality is not moral conduct because it does not accord with what nature intended. For one who additionally comes to believe in a particular formal religion, that choice reflects belief and acceptance of that religion's interpretation of what is moral, as in the case of the Catholic Church's position on birth control and abortion. Where I was intending to go with that, is that the humanist does not believe in any such divinely inspired guideposts. For the well-intentioned humanist, morality is what appears to be appropriate and in the best interests of humanity for the times. For example, in contemporary life, abortions on demand or passing out condoms in the schools could be viewed as a moral necessity. I have said before that while I am not a good Catholic (and realistically not in store for any rewards from the Lord), I have great respect for the Church's steadfast refusal to bend with the prevailing winds when it comes to positions on morality. So all of this may add up to my drawing the line you refer to ... in the sense that I am uncomfortable with conferring moral authority upon secularists whose only beacon is the exigency of the times. We may be the near the point where we will just have to accept that our views, or perhaps it is our feelings on the matter, cannot be reconciled.