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ORIGINAL: jackbauer
ORIGINAL: OculusPyramidis
One other small point: Although science in general tries to be value-neutral, some morals are scientific. Furthermore, the fact that a given moral is unscientific does not necessarily make it religious. There are some morals that are neither scientific or religious. Other morals are both scientific and religious.
Religion and science are not mutually exclusive.
It doesn’t mean that one must choose between morals and science, however. I just find it ridiculous when people demand that religion/morals be kept out of government, when it seems to me that the only other option is to base the laws solely on that which can be proven scientifically. The very notion that life has value at all seems unscientific to me. Would the universe cease to exist if DNA stopped replicating? And even if the universe did cease to exist, why does that even matter from a scientific standpoint? It seems to me that religion/morals and government are inseparable.
Indeed, many questions of morality that enter into legislative debate are inspired or anticipated by religious teachings. So the influence of the church is inevitably found throughout government and throughout society.
However, some extreme viewpoints that are fanatically held by only certain churches or sects of churches can really throw monkey wrenches in the proper functioning of society. Examples would include bombing abortion clinics, discrimination against the practice of the traditions of other religions, improper governmental funding of favored churches, and so on.
Separation of church and state is a tried and true principle. But you are right, in many ways the same principles taught in the church find their way into the government as well. Why shouldn’t they? Most of what is taught in most churches makes total sense. That is not what one should fear. It is the crazy stuff that one needs to watch out for.
