Washington’s argues for religion in American society from a principled and a pragmatic context. Washington claims religion is a prerequisite for patriotism. Without religion, oaths sworn on the Bible would bear no weight. In essence, religion and the potential for an afterlife motivate the government (or the people who comprise it) and the governed to act in the best interest of the nation, rather than the individual. Ultimately, Washington’s Farewell invokes religion as the sole basis of morality, the foundation upon which American governance must lie in order to survive.
In 1996 Pope John Paul II made a papal encyclical as well, but it was called Fides et Ratio. This encyclical reminded the Catholic Church that faith is more superior to reason. “Faith is the most important thing we can do /have… Jesus
Crucial question is not whether an act is permissible, but is it proper? Not whether it is legal, but is it right? People of character know the difference between what they have right to do and what's right to do; they often do more than what's required and less than what's allowed. The courage to speak on ethical issues , and to take an ethical position becomes a greater imperative every day. With manifested commitment and a sense of ethics that works full time, ethical standards must be exemplified and shaped by the
‘Dynamism’ is the medieval view that God is the driving, animating force within all matter. However in the modern day, dynamism is an almost nonexistent view of God and the world. Religion and the soul are now matters of faith and faith only, not the matters of reality. This view of Christianity was built upon a major progression in human thinking - individualism. For a good part of human history (especially the medieval times), people counted on authority and tradition to decide their beliefs, views, and morals; Religion being a hugely-focused on truth in society.
While as indicated by Kierkegaard; faith and religion are the commitments despite uncertainty: and the more prominent that uncertainty, the more noteworthy the faith that is demanded. The best faith of all is belief in the outlandish and that is precisely how Kierkegaard saw the Christian faith. Christianity, he contended, is a conundrum and
Science and reason are placed side by side as viable alternatives to the dictates of religion. Thus, the Roman Church represented an outmoded way of looking at the world. It was easy indeed to cite its abuses as evidence that faith represents bondage. Enlightenment represents freedom of thought and freedom of action. The emphasis shifted from God to man or more accurately, from the Church to man.
A great man called John Berger once said, “Without ethics, man has no future. This is to say, mankind without them cannot be itself. Ethics determine choices and actions and suggest difficult priorities.” This is one of the many quotes that signify the importance of ethics on the whole. Ethics are moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. Keeping this in mind, a better dissection of the definition of ethics can be derived from understanding the various affects that culture, religions and philosophies may have on a person.
RELATING WITH THE GOVERNMENT Romans 13:1-7 By Rev. James May At the end of chapter 12 Paul’s teaching to the church on how we should behave toward one another, and toward our enemies in the church comes to a close. In chapter 13 Paul now begins a new subject matter, even though it still relates to chapter 12, the Bible now addresses how all of mankind should behave toward those who are placed in positions of governance over us. This isn’t just for the church, but for everybody. We are citizens of two kingdoms; one is the Kingdom of Heaven, and the other is the United States of America.
The biggest change that happened was the division of Christianity into different sects. Protestantism emerged in response to the corruption that existed in the Catholic Church. The founder of Protestantism, Martin Luther, started his religion by speaking out against indulgences and the power of the Pope. Indulgences weren’t mentioned in the Bible and Protestants did not believe that the Pope had enough authority to release souls from purgatory (Ellis 347). Protestants believed that people were saved through faith alone and not by good works while Catholics believed that people could be saved through numerous ways including indulgences, baptism, and good works (godonthe.net).
Harry Blackmun has this to say: “When the government puts its imprimatur on a particular religion it conveys a message of exclusion to all those who do not adhere to the favored beliefs. A government cannot be premised on the belief that all persons are created equal when it asserts that God prefers some.” What if there is no separation of church and state? Robert Heinlein answers this question. He said that “Almost any sect, cult or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.” Is it possible to have a middle ground in the principle backing the separation of church and state? The late Ronald Reagan declares that “Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” How is the principle of separation of church and state applied in some countries?