christianity and secularism

graylion · **Joined:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:28 pm **Posts:** 4

Hi guys

I just recently joined and have not read a lot yet. But I'd like to state something for the record. As an practicing Christian I strongly support separation of Church and State and secularism. All of these are a prerequisite for freedom of religion. And that is important. And The freedom to not have a religion falls under freedom of religion

A state church is harmful to the conscience of everybody who has a deviating opinion, no matter what they be. And that kind of contradicts the purpose of having free will and freedom of conscience.

kthxbai

Tulip1 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:53 pm

Very refreshing to read this. I am very happy you posted that because like you I think that a real democracy can only exist with a seperation of church and state.

And I am convinced that more christians like yourself have that opinion.

dugges · **Posted:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:08 pm

Thanks for the comment graylion!!!

This country could do with more like you!

Tulip1 · **Posted:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:43 pm

and by the way welcome to the forum. Hope you will contribute once in a while.

Rogan · **Joined:** Sun Jan 24, 2010 4:58 am **Posts:** 104

Hi Graylion, firstly welcome to the forum. As you've probably already guessed most of us on here aren't practising Christians, so it's really nice to read your above comment on the seperation of Church & State, thanks for taking the time to post.

chemicals · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:03 am

graylion wrote:

As an practicing Christian

Hi welcome
could you expand on that please ? catholic ,protestant ,orthodox or some other variation ?

Tulip1 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:21 am

What I was thinking; is there a christian movement who promotes a secular state in Ireland?

Tulip1 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 11:23 am

chemicals wrote:

graylion wrote:

As an practicing Christian

Hi welcome
could you expand on that please ? catholic ,protestant ,orthodox or some other variation ?

Does that really matter?

Could you explain why that would? (I really just don't get it, must be my non religous upbringing, thinking it's all the same)

chemicals · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:36 pm

Tulip1 wrote:

Could you explain why that would? (I really just don't get it, must be my non religous upbringing, thinking it's all the same)

Curosity - some variations of christians have very definite official views on secular society
eg

Quote:

Pope Benedict XVI discussed with Vatican officials the church’s culpability in its child sex-abuse scandal, but he also blamed a secular society, which he claimed that the mistreatment of children was common.

http://radiofreethinker.wordpress.com/2 ... r-society/

Tulip1 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 4:13 pm

Fair enough.. I thought there would be deeper reasons :lol:

graylion · **Joined:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:28 pm **Posts:** 4

German Lutheran, attending COI

graylion · **Joined:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:28 pm **Posts:** 4

Tulip1 wrote:

What I was thinking; is there a christian movement who promotes a secular state in Ireland?

Good question. need to take that up with a friend of mine who is a COI rector.

edit: *g* that was entertaining. His reply was "It is called Protestantism". There is a deep discomfort with intermingling of church and state in the protestant churches of the world, going back to Emperor Constantine. Even older is Christ's quote "Render unto caesar ..."

I was abbout to ask him about COI sponsoring of schools but the connection broke up. I'll come back to this learned forum on that.

graylion · **Joined:** Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:28 pm **Posts:** 4

BTW guys, thanks for the welcome. I'll mostly restrain myself to this part of the forum, I don't think we'd have fruitful interaction on a lot of other subjects that are discussed here. That is a) because I am not here to prosytalize (sp?) and b) because I am not practiced at arguing in this field, since I am a pretty recent convert.

Tulip1 · **Posted:** Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:55 pm

It would be very interesting to know if there is a active campaign to get a secular state under the protestants or other churches for that matter.

I really apriciate your post, I am looking forward to find what else he had to say.

Feardorcha · **Joined:** Fri May 01, 2009 4:28 pm **Posts:** 1265

Quote:

There is a deep discomfort with intermingling of church and state in the protestant churches of the world, going back to Emperor Constantine

Henry VIII and his successors down to Elizabeth II weren't/aren't that uncomfortable with it.

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