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Politics and Religion - 'evangelical' Cameron...

**helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
David Cameron has declared himself an "evangelical" about his Christian faith as he criticised some non-believers for failing to grasp the role that religion can have in "helping people to have a moral code".

Thoughts?

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/16/david-cameron-evangelical-about-christian-faith

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    A cynic would think there's an election on the horizon.
  • Annaarrr!!Annaarrr!! Posts: 876 Part of The Mix Family
    Being a good or bad person has nothing to do with religion, morals should be taught either way. BUT.. My home life as well as my school life has been very full of moral teachings, there is an awful lot of it in religious schools.

    My boyf didnt have either and there are certain things he says/does that i would never do, but i couldn't say whether or not that's just the morals my parents (mainly mum) bought me up with. I do question his inability to forgive and forget... I was always taught that through religious contexts and find it pretty easy to do, he doesn't.

    morals are down to individuals though really. I know people who have perfect morals and haven't cone from religious backgrounds. I'm not sure why hes talking about religion tbh
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Religion is a personal thing, therefore I don't think it has a place in politics. You don't need to be religious to be a good person and have a moral compass. And being religious doesn't automatically make you a good person
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Religion and politics don't mix, at all. It takes a special kind of person to run a country, not someone who is actually religious and in good moral standing.
  • **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    Someone said to me this weekend that our laws are firmly routed in Christianity. Any views on this?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe murder and theft, can't really think of any others. But then it has always been a crime to kill and steal, even in BC times.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's probably fair to say that our laws are firmly routed in Christianity, but you could equally say that on most of the major religions. The bit that tends to get forgotten is that pretty much all religions have roughly the same plot/principles - and they happen to be pretty tricky ones to argue with.

    Once you get into the details, things get slightly more complicated - but it's hard to argue against the basic points of trust, kindness, love, charity and forgiveness.

    Religions can often do a good job in steering people towards a moral code - yes, sometimes it gets taken too far and there can be problems in that but I struggle to see an argument that the message in the bible stories told in many primary school assemblies around the country aren't giving kids the right message. Yes, there are other ways of getting that message across - but there's one that works pretty well which is a good starting point.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    **helen** wrote: »
    Someone said to me this weekend that our laws are firmly routed in Christianity. Any views on this?

    Hard not to agree that they have a root, from things such as Sunday trading to laws on bigamy as well as things which are no longer on the statute book, such as Witchcraft

    However English law is equally rooted in the feudalism and the relationship between Crown, Nobles and Commons which hardly seems an argument for going back to an absolute monarchy. Just because something is descended from something doesn't mean that times don't change and the laws and institutions change with them

    (Though that said I thought Cameron's comments pretty innocuous)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ballerina: You're correct IN GENERAL. But, one should be more specific. For instance, what religion you are talking about? What does it mean to be religious? If you talking about Christianity is entirely different if you about Islam. True Christianity teaches love and peace. True Islam teaches hate and violence. Notice please, I said 'true', that means follow the 'holy' books, and being religious is to adhere to the verses of the book.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    One must define moral. For instance, moral in Christianity is not to lie, not to hurt anyone, forgive, to be helpful and loving for every one.
    On the other hand, moral in Islam is to lie for Islam (takiyya), to kill who ever does not follow Islam.
    As you can see, huge difference in the moral arena.

    I, also, know people who are very decent and has nothing to do with religion. But, those people cannot be in 'perfect moral' every time they encounter a situation, which needs directives. Here comes the role of religion. However, again, what is moral.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    **helen** wrote: »
    David Cameron has declared himself an "evangelical" about his Christian faith as he criticised some non-believers for failing to grasp the role that religion can have in "helping people to have a moral code".

    He's not quite so keen on it when it's an Islamic faith, is he? :yeees:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I guess that he is playing the game of 'political correctness'. That is when a politician is ignorant of the subject at hand or simply a coward.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    ronyvo wrote: »
    One must define moral. For instance, moral in Christianity is not to lie, not to hurt anyone, forgive, to be helpful and loving for every one.
    On the other hand, moral in Islam is to lie for Islam (takiyya), to kill who ever does not follow Islam.
    As you can see, huge difference in the moral arena.

    Would you agree to condense this into "Christianity: good; Islam: bad" for the sake of brevity?
    I, also, know people who are very decent and has nothing to do with religion. But, those people cannot be in 'perfect moral' every time they encounter a situation, which needs directives. Here comes the role of religion. However, again, what is moral.

    Can this be condensed into "WWJD"?
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold Posts: 16,688 Skive's The Limit
    ronyvo wrote: »
    Ballerina: You're correct IN GENERAL. But, one should be more specific. For instance, what religion you are talking about?
    Irrelevant.

    Nothing Ballerina said is concerned in any way with specific religions, only religion in general. So nothing that you said is in any way relevant to her post.
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