My short view on religion

• Atheist: one who believes that there is no deity
• Agnostic: a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and prob. unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god
• Theist: belief in the existence of a god or gods; specifically : belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of man and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world.

I guess I fall into the category of agnostic.

I don’t believe in any religion known or that has ever been known to man. But at the same time, I think atheists have to believe the un-provable too. If someone were to prove to me, irrevocably, that there is a supreme being, I could deal with that. If someone were to prove to me irrevocably that there isn’t, I’d be fine with that, too.

But what really matters is how I view religion in the realm of law. And it’s simple. It has no place in our government. It has no place in our laws. Religious people believe their faith transcends all. I don’t believe in their faith, therefore they believe they know more than I and can make decisions for me. That has no place in law.

My religion, if you would call it that, is the U.S. Constitution. Those are the rules by which I am governed. Not the Bible. Not the Talmud. Not the Koran. Not Wicca. No religious doctrine rules me.

There are many places where secular law and religion intersect. Murder is a great example. Murder takes away someone else’s rights. In religion, murder is unlawful and a sin. That’s great, we coincide. But where religious doctrine and secular society differ, without a Constitutional basis for the former, then secular society must win. This is why gay marriage should be allowed, abortion should be legal, the Ten Commandments should not be displayed in courtrooms, and why there should be no school prayer. It’s also why Janet Jackson’s boob was nothing to get worked up about.

Religion relies on providing un-provable reasons for the things that have not yet been proven. When those things are proven through science or evolution, religion is thrown into a crisis. If they were wrong about one thing, what else were they wrong about? So they can’t admit they were wrong about anything. Secularism takes in the new evidence and comes up with new conclusions.

I completely agree that we have freedom of religion in this country. And no matter that I think religious people are inherently irrational and even dangerous, I respect their right to raise their children as they see fit. To be part of a church community. But the minute they stray into my life, well, sorry, I don't respect you anymore.