I have just read one of the most brilliant quotes on why the separation of religion and state is important, and why invoking the deity of a single culture or religion in government mandate is silly:
“I’m not aware of any other state or commonwealth that is attempting to dump their clear responsibility for protecting their citizens onto God or any other mythological creature,” Buckner said.
This quote comes from an article about a lawsuit over a Kentucky anti-terrorism law that mentions the Judeo-Christian god “God” even though it really shouldn’t.
Establishment exists in the Constitution because religion in government is a doubled-edged sword—there is no one religion, even in individual religions there are sects that hate each other with such intensity that they murder their brothers over points of doctrine. To have freedom of religion one must first be free of the religion of her neighbor. That means that no one religion gets to dictate the culture of government proceedings and that they must remain neutral in those regards.
The mythology of different cultures are amazing and interesting and often beautiful, but it is not for them to lead the government of We the People around by the nose because not all of us people are Judeo-Christian.
Would those who claim the current god in that legislation really take putting Zeus, Shiva, or the Morrigan into the law sitting down?
Really?
Why should anyone else? Furthermore, as moral and sane people neither should those that do for any god in legislation for the same reason.
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