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Dr. Holt notes the pervasive influence of religiosity in areas such as family, laws, military, the arts. He states that recognizing this says nothing about whether religion is good or bad for human beings. However, if we look at how the influence of religiosity has played out in the military, we see a pervasive negativity towards non-Christians fomented at the highest levels.
Religion in the Military
From Michael Weinstein's expose of unwanted proselytizing at the US Air Force Academy, With God on Our Side, to the appearance of military officers in uniform in a promotional video for Christian Embassy (www.Christianembassy.com/files/CEvideo.html ) proclaiming that their God is more important than their country or their family, it is not difficult to see why some non-
Christians see our armed forces as religious crusaders. Perhaps this atmosphere amongst our military explains an e-mail I received from a US Army address in November of last year which read in part "The war in Iraq can be considered a 'crusade' … you already have a secular and disgusting train of thought … this country was built on Christian values, and it should not and will not ever change no matter what you do, because there is ALWAYS [emphasis in original] going to be someone, somewhere that will shoot you down in any effort that you make."
Religiosity as imposed into civil law has resulted in curtailment of possibly life-saving research using embryonic stem cells, and in a delay of easily accessible emergency contraception to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Religiosity in family life often has a neutral effect, but instances in which children are denied life-saving medical attention in deference to a belief that only prayer can cure them, points out the drawbacks of some religious practices on child health (Marci A. Hamilton,God vs. the Gavel: Religion and the Rule of Law, Cambridge University Press, 2005, pages 31-39).
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Ethics may easily be derived within a naturalistic (rather than theistic) world view.
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Another type of indoctrination on children was the film Jesus Camp. The scariest part of the movie was watching the homeschool parent teaching her proud child that all science is false and the only true "science" is what the Bible proclaims. Even most believers do not consider the Bible a literal science manual. (If they did they would have to continue to hold that the sun revolves around the earth.)
The fact that religious day care facilities are not held to the same health and safety regulations as secular facilities also places children at risk. In fact, rather than following the Founders' version of a separation of church and state, our government currently privileges religious activities over secular ones in employment, tax breaks, land use, and other regulation (see Diana B. Henriques' series in the New York Times from Oct. 8-11, 2006). I agree that religion has added much to art and literature. So have the realms of fantasy, myth, fiction, naturalism, and reason.
Dr. Holt uses the term "contingent" when referring to whether religious or non-religious people live moral lives. Ethics may easily be derived within a naturalistic (rather than theistic) world view. For every "grace" that is inspired by religious life ("charities, hospitals, educational institutions, emotional well-being, poetry, art, music, film, even science"), each has been and continues to also be inspired by secular life. The awe of nature has inspired much poetry, art, music, and film.
And individuals who do not believe we can rely on a deity to improve anyone's situation here on earth have worked tirelessly in the areas of education, charity, health, and science to make a positive difference. Humanitarian atheists in our past such as Helen Keller, Andrew Carnegie, and Christopher Reeves (see wonderfulatheistsofcfl.org/Quotes.htm for a much longer list) prove this proposition. Many contemporary atheists hold blood drives on the National Day of Prayer in furtherance of our belief that giving blood will be more effective in helping mankind than will prayer.
I am especially glad that Dr. Holt supports the use of the Constitution to protect minority rights and sites the establishment clause cases as "the heart of American civil religion and the role of religion in American life generally." Recent attempts in Congress to limit individuals' abilities to protect their establishment clause rights are especially noxious. Using ironically titled bills such as "The Pledge Protection Act" and "The Public Expression of Religion Act", Congress has attacked the rights of religious and non-religious minorities to curtail unconstitutional behavior specifically as regards the establishment clause.
Finally, being free to vote one's morality does not always intersect with voting for someone who claims to share the voter's theology. While voters may base their decisions on whatever they choose (including prejudices), elected officials' theology is often a less reliable determiner of their values than a look at their stands on specific issues. Even if they share specific religious beliefs, those beliefs should not be imposed on those who hold different beliefs.
A clear distinction can be made between laws imposed for the common good, and those which simply attempt to impose theology on government.
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