Guilty Christians Part V--Religion-Based Discrimination

A question from the 7-23-07 Democrat debate:

A look at the YouTube comments shows exactly the level of intelligent discourse I would expect from 10-year olds on summer break with their parents' computers.

I don't plan to address the candidates' responses because 1) I didn't watch them, and 2) Does it really matter what the response is?

Should "religion" be shamed into submission in the public discourse for past sins such as supporting slavery and segregation and opposing women's suffrage?

1. Define religion. Religion to one person is not religion to another. Plenty of people worship God. Others worship money, Darwinism or liberalism. Global warming is the latest Kabbalah, with celebrities hopping on board to profess faith to the high priest Al Gore.

2. "Gay" marriage. What does that mean? Gay people are free to get married like everyone else. Straight people don't have the right to marry someone of the same sex, and neither do gay people. Where exactly are rights being denied?

3. The questioner claims that most Americans agree it was wrong and unconstitutional to use religion to support slavery and segregation and oppose women's suffrage. Taking for granting that religion was used in those various ways, so what? Since when does a majority opinion of Americans determine what is wrong or unconstitutional?

4. If we agree that religion should not influence a candidate's opinion on issues such as gay marriage, we have to include all "religions", including those I mentioned above. We also have to include all things, ideas and causes ever used to support anything we now consider wrong. For example, historically, the Democrat Party was the greatest obstacle to full and equal rights for blacks. During the period of American slavery, Democrats largely supported the rights of the southern states to keep slaves. Most Democrat politicians voted against civil rights bills for blacks. Can we therefore, using the same logic as those who would ban religion from public influence, ban the Democrat Party?

5. Conversely, if religion has been used in the past for things we now consider good, is religion then allowed back in to the public discourse? Religion has been used by people to end slavery, end segregation and support women's suffrage? Should we start slavery again since religious people were the primary opponents to the practice?

We should not feel guilty about what some people may have done to use religion in an inappropriate way. What people do with religion has no bearing on the truth or falsehood of that religion.