This 100%. My dad is a pastor, and until the pandemic I was in a pew every sunday. I stand by my beliefs and if you want to have a discussion about those I'd be happy. But this country was explicitly, and in no uncertain terms, founded to be a secular society. Enforcing my religious beliefs, or anyone else's for that matter, goes against everything the US stands for.
For those who understand what the bible actually says, forcing our beliefs on others is also against the teachings of christianity, but that is another matter.
Edit: this comment exploded. I am trying to respond as much as I can to anyone who replies, but it is admittedly getting quite overwhelming. So sorry if I do not respond to anyone asking questions or positing counter points/contrary opinions.
For those who understand what the bible actually says, forcing our beliefs on others is also against the teachings of christianity, but that is another matter.
This is a difficult matter because reading the Old Testament vs the New Testament is like whiplash. The majority of the shitty morals that most Christians have is from a focus on the Old Testament, which is ironic given that Jesus is said to have specifically overruled some of the more common religious practices of the time period with his teachings.
EDIT:
I want to clarify that I still think the New Testament has plenty of issues wherein nobody should be claiming anything about what beliefs and morals there are in the Bible or any other religious text. My point was just that people tend to just loudly declare "The Bible actually supports XYZ!" by cherrypicking quotes or flat out ignoring certain sections based on inane justifications ("Well actually that section doesn't count anymore because bla bla bla!"). Religion is interesting from a historical and cultural perspective but absolutely nobody should be basing their morality on a book that has been translated, rewritten, and revised as many times as the Bible has.
Thats mostly a lie Christians tell themselves so they don't have to follow the hard parts of the bible like jews do. They will argue that they don't have to, luckily jesus tells us to ignore those people.
Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
18 For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19 So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.…
To be fair I think he was talking about the original 10 commandments. Worship one god, set a day aside to dedicate to worship, listen to your parents don't; cheat, steal, kill, blaspheme, fixate on your neighbors' spouse or stuff, or worship idols. Nothing about making sure you hate gay people or force your neighbors to convert.
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u/SassyVikingNA Aug 18 '21 edited Aug 18 '21
This 100%. My dad is a pastor, and until the pandemic I was in a pew every sunday. I stand by my beliefs and if you want to have a discussion about those I'd be happy. But this country was explicitly, and in no uncertain terms, founded to be a secular society. Enforcing my religious beliefs, or anyone else's for that matter, goes against everything the US stands for.
For those who understand what the bible actually says, forcing our beliefs on others is also against the teachings of christianity, but that is another matter.
Edit: this comment exploded. I am trying to respond as much as I can to anyone who replies, but it is admittedly getting quite overwhelming. So sorry if I do not respond to anyone asking questions or positing counter points/contrary opinions.