http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=2479 Defending Liberty and Enlightened Thought Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:02:49 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=2479&cpage=1#comment-148171 Huckabee Called for Taking This Nation Back for Christ - Liberal Values - Defending Liberty and Enlightened Thought Mon, 10 Dec 2007 04:54:03 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=2479#comment-148171 [...] The author did discuss the most controversial portion of Romney’s speech in which he said, “Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom.” After chastising Romney for his “failure to make a noble public stand for the rights of atheists and skeptics” the article turns to Huckabee with another quote from his past which might now be embarrassing: After citing Adams, Romney said: “Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom.” The second part is an ancient theological tradition: without free will faith is not faith but coercion. The first point, however, is arguable, for societies can be secular, free and successful. I asked Romney to explain his thinking. In sum, he believes a republic is dependent on the virtue of the people, the virtue of the people is dependent on morality, and that morality is dependent on religion. To support his case he (wisely) alluded to Washington’s Farewell Address, which says, “of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports … let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” But Washington was simply raising a “caution,” and it is a mistake to think that one need be religious to be moral. [...] [...] The author did discuss the most controversial portion of Romney’s speech in which he said, “Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom.” After chastising Romney for his “failure to make a noble public stand for the rights of atheists and skeptics” the article turns to Huckabee with another quote from his past which might now be embarrassing: After citing Adams, Romney said: “Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom.” The second part is an ancient theological tradition: without free will faith is not faith but coercion. The first point, however, is arguable, for societies can be secular, free and successful. I asked Romney to explain his thinking. In sum, he believes a republic is dependent on the virtue of the people, the virtue of the people is dependent on morality, and that morality is dependent on religion. To support his case he (wisely) alluded to Washington’s Farewell Address, which says, “of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports … let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion.” But Washington was simply raising a “caution,” and it is a mistake to think that one need be religious to be moral. [...]

]]> http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=2479&cpage=1#comment-147726 Conservative Views on Freedom, Religion, and The Free Market - Liberal Values - Defending Liberty and Enlightened Thought Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:21:57 +0000 http://liberalvaluesblog.com/?p=2479#comment-147726 [...] Freedom Without Religion [...] [...] Freedom Without Religion [...]

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