If you've been active in this forum for awhile you may remember the last time we did something like this. It's a roleplay sort of debate and it can be very fun, and something you'll enjoy. What happens is anyone who's interested posts here and says so and we will add you to our list. Then in about a week or so after everyone who wants to has agreed, we'll pick a topic.
After the topic is chosen, we assign each person to a team, either the team supporting the topic at hand , or the team against it. The team you're placed on may not be how you actually feel about the subject, but that's the point in the roleplay, to get in the shoes of someone else and experience their opinion.
If you're interested in participating, let us know in this thread. Also, if you have any topic suggestions feel free to tell us about them here. Anyone and everyone is welcome to participate, we'd be happy to have you. If you do choose to do this, we ask you to please take it seriously and stick to your side of the topic. Posts such as "I agree", "___ is right", "I disagree" are not acceptable for this. You have to always make a post with a meaning and importance so that the topic can flow and not become redundant.
Our Topic
The role of the Church in the government is a topic that frequently comes up in many political debates. Same sex marriage, abortion,embryonic stem cell research, and many other subjects are affected by peoples religious beliefs. Multiple governments practice seperation of the church and state, making religious morals obsolete. In modern society, is this practical? Is it even possible with such a large percentage of the world practicing a religion of some sort? Can we expect people to ignore thier religious backgrounds when it comes to politics? If we can't, what do we do with religious that contradict each other, and have opposing believes?Should the founding religion triumph over new religions moving into a country?
Support
Morality is not something that can be ignored. Some peoples morality comes from religious beliefs, and they should be allowed to express that as freely as someone whose morality comes from somewhere else.Seeing as how Great Britain has based its government on biblical Christianitian morality, Great Britain pioneered what we now think of as modern freedom and our idea of justice. Having free speech and the ability to think for yourself will not be taken away simply because of religion taking part in the government. Having religious involvment in the government does not dictate people into following a particular religion, and without religion society would not funtion as we know it.
Opposition to Religion Anti-clericalism is the policy of making any and all religious beliefs a private issue, totally and completely seperate from public life and politics. Communism is often associated with anti-clericalism. The abolishing of religious holidays, and teaching atheist views in public schools would be something done by a totally anti-clericalism government. The abolishment of segregation of the sexes is another topic anti-clericalists feel strongly about, especially towards the Islamic faith. The corruption they see in the Catholic clergy is also an issue they feel strongly about. Anti-clericalism has a violent history, which in the past has lead to destruction of churches and their property and the slaughter of religious figures.
Secularism Is the the belief that society should not live based upon religious morals, or things that will happen in the future, or morals of the past. They believe that we should use facts with evidence to form our opinions and make choices. However, they are not opposed to people having religious beliefs. They believe that people should be able to have a faith, change it, or not practice one at all, and don't think having a belief, or not having one should change any ones position in society. Therefore, you can still practice a religion and be secular because secularisms main focus is politics and you would still be able to attend a church, ect., but it would be very difficult to be anti-clerical and have religious beliefs.
The belief of seperating religion from state is said to promote equality, and eliminate discrimination based on religion. By making religion an irrelvant factor in political matters, it would make everyones opinions equal, instead of being given special privilages simply based on religion. Religion can give society morality, and Democratic governments protect their citizens from abuse, both foreign and domestic, and provide equality. Both are wonderful separately and are absolutely needed essential to human society today. Problems occur when the two are mixed.
Ok, so, I was talking to some other people and when I told them about the topic I picked they were like " What's that?" Originally, I had planned on talking about Egypts constitutional reforms, how they will affect their society, and if it helps or hurts them, I thought it was pretty interesting, and assign people to teams who supported them, and people who didn't... but upon further investigation it kind of looks like Im the only person who's interested in that topic So, what do you guys think? Would you like that to do that, or something else you may be more familiar with?
Ok, so, I was talking to some other people and when I told them about the topic I picked they were like " What's that?" Originally, I had planned on talking about Egypts constitutional reforms, how they will affect their society, and if it helps or hurts them, I thought it was pretty interesting, and assign people to teams who supported them, and people who didn't... but upon further investigation it kind of looks like Im the only person who's interested in that topic So, what do you guys think? Would you like that to do that, or something else you may be more familiar with?
LOL I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A PLACE SUCH AS "EGYPT."
I don't know. Something people would be more familiar with would be better. I don't have any ideas.
Ol' Blue Eyes. King For A Couple Of Days Age: 36 Gender: Female Posts: 4816
March 28th, 2007 at 10:57pm
Kurtni:
Ok, so, I was talking to some other people and when I told them about the topic I picked they were like " What's that?" Originally, I had planned on talking about Egypts constitutional reforms, how they will affect their society, and if it helps or hurts them, I thought it was pretty interesting, and assign people to teams who supported them, and people who didn't... but upon further investigation it kind of looks like Im the only person who's interested in that topic So, what do you guys think? Would you like that to do that, or something else you may be more familiar with?
Something more familiar would be nice, but I have no ideas either.
Smart people.
I'll join.
What's that?" Originally, I had planned on talking about Egypts constitutional reforms, how they will affect their society, and if it helps or hurts them, I thought it was pretty interesting, and assign people to teams who supported them, and people who didn't... but upon further investigation it kind of looks like Im the only person who's interested in that topic 
So, what do you guys think? Would you like that to do that, or something else you may be more familiar with?
Something people would be more familiar with would be better. I don't have any ideas.
