Certainly, a Libeqrats' Party would welcome and embrace atheists, and unlike many political parties, would champion their civil rights and liberties. But only because atheists, agnostics, deists, and theists of all stripes are all equally entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Moreover, while rationality entails a pro-science agenda, and one that would have the government itself operate from a secular perspective, it hardly entails excluding religious people from helping to craft public policy.
What, though ― you might be wondering ― would that mean, in a pluralistic country in which many of those participants will claim to derive their morals and principles from their religions? Well, I am heartened to embed here excerpts from an overlooked speech by now-President Elect Barack Obama, in which he says,
Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. . . . [This] requires that their proposals be subject to argument and amenable to reason.Bingo! Take a listen . . . . .
After eight years of the Bush Abomination's gleeful theocratic pandering, not to mention the disaster that was Proposition 8's success here in California, these words from the now—president-elect are very welcome.
The entire speech, along with an interesting thread of comments, is available here on Richard Dawkins' site.
Thank you to Fearless2005 for allowing this video to be embedded.
2 comments:
In his book, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama makes it clear that the reason we have separation of church and state is that we can't choose which religion is right.
I am so glad that Barack Obama was raised with knowledge of a number of religous texts. I believe he will be the most open-minded President we will ever have. It's something that we need.
Right now religious groups even fight amongst themselves which religion is the right one. Even within Christianity - Protestant or Catholic? Methodist or Southern Baptist?
We need a President who will allow all persons of faith - and without faith - at the table. I think we're going to get one on January 20.
Karen, your blog looks wonderful and professional. As always I love reading your writing especially on politics. I too am an atheist. However besides my own personal beliefs, I want to say that I try and live life as rational as my brain will allow.
Besides my rational atheistic outlook on life, I am rather passionate about certain issues and this one in particular. I feel the government along with religious groups assert to much of their ideas in our lives. Neither of these groups go together nor suppose to either. But yet they both collide constantly with each other at which it greatly affects my life and others that live in this country.
Again, I want to thank Karen for showing, us, Americans, the new President elect, Obama, is receptive to all religions and all beliefs. He states though through this video Karen has graciously provided that indeed government and religion are not as one. I’m glad someone in the White House has their ears and eyes wide open...
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