Let us now praise famous men...
Credo:
I am free. That means in thought, word and deed, subject only to the rights of others to be similarly free. My rights stop at the borders of others’ same rights. Most of the problems of civilization involve somebody trying to move those lines to their advantage.
Thomas Jefferson, with a little editorial help from Ben Franklin, said in the Declaration of Independence that the rights of men are primary, and the assertion that this is so is “self-evident.” Perhaps, but not without effort, unceasing and to the last bitter trial. Jefferson knew this, of course, which is why he wanted to be remembered for the Declaration, and for the Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, passed in Virginia in 1785 . Those two achievements, along with founding the University of Virginia, were all the tributes he wanted on his grave memorial.
For me this means that my religious views are personal and not political, I have no right to impose dogma as law, however strong my beliefs are. I expect the same consideration from other citizens. This consideration especially applies to choosing representatives to enact and enforce laws for a pluralistic society. The recent presidential election and the attribution of “moral concerns” to the choices made, have raised my libertarian hackles. Following is a quotation from a draft of the above legislation authored by Thomas Jefferson for the Virginia legislature:
[It follows :] …that our civil rights have no dependance on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right; that it tends also to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honours and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it…
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Jefferson.
posted by felix at 8:41 PM
3 Comments:
If religion is not taught, then most certainly citenzenship should be taught. Freedom my friend, existed to a greater extent when devotion was taught in schools. Now, we have cameras everywhere: at intersections, parking lots, check-outs, restrooms (I know for a fact that the movie theaters and some clothing stores have them there just not pointed at the stalls), etc. We have all telephone conversations taped. We have sattelites in space. We are about to have to at least put our finger prints on our national ids and perhaps iris scans and DNA. We even have to use our finger prints to cash checks. We are to have biometric (chip) data implanted unless Americans cause an uproar. Our purchases are stockpiled by Bonus Cards, Checking Accounts, and Credit Cards. Even money has tracking devices, and soon presciption drugs. Everyone needs to wake up and realize that freedom is dead. We force a country to be democratic which means they are not free, but democratic. Sound familiar?
On another subject, the weather sure is strange. Luke 21:25.
Randy said: If religion is not taught, then most certainly citenzenship should be taught.I certainly agree. Religion can be a firm foundation for civic responsibility, among other things.
Our religious freedoms, however, limit direct involvement of government, including public schools, in religious training, but there should be civics courses as were taught when I was in school.
A basic understanding of the rights and responsibilities of each citizen ought to be a goal of any education program.
Not only should good citizenship be taught, it should be expected at school.
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