Newspaper Page Text
Opinion
2006
Torley's thoughts on
religion and government
By Matt Torley
Staff Columnist
mtorleyl@my.westga.edu
I’m writing this on
Good Friday, which strikes
me as a tine day to be
thinking about religion.
Now, it may be
expected that since 1
usually write from the
right that I am a religious
fellow. Heck, I even wear
a crucifix and have another
hanging from my wall.
The truth, however, is that
I am nothing of the sort.
Though I am not a
religious man, I have a
deep respect for other
people's beliefs, and find
that far too often it seems
that the desire to maintain a
separation between church
and state is taken too far;
to the point of interfering
with the right of the free
exercise of religion.
Sadly, the opposite is
also true.
Consider gay marriage.
Now, personally I do not
care. 1 do not understand
why such an intense
controversy has arisen over
what lcx)ks to be a matter of
simple terminology.
Yes, marriage
developed to ensure the
support and protection
of pregnant women and
children, but why the knee
jerk reaction against same
sex marriage? Conversely,
what is wrong with two
people having a civil union
and just saying that they
are married?
If marriage is a
religious institution, then
should not all of them be
civil unions, leaving it
to churches to sanction
marriage?
If the objection is
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It has been brought to my attention that Bishop Eddie
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I am deeply sorry that I did not verify this fact before
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based upon religious
morality then... Why? To
what end? If you think
that sexuality is a choice,
then how does anything
change?
At the core of
Christianity is the freedom
to choose between good
and evil, right and wrong.
And it is a choice that
must be made freely.
But like I said. I do
not care. Unless of course
gay marriage became
mandatory -that, I would
have a problem with.
How about something
1 do care about -like prayer
in school.
How about we do not
pray in school. If a student
wants to pray, tine. If they
do not, fine.
But what d(.)es prayer
have to do with math or a
fcxitball game? I have no
problem with a moment of
silence (though I do not see
a need for it) or allowing
Muslim students to duck out
to perform their devotions,
my problem is in having it
forced upon me.
I’ve read the Bible
and more gospels than
most people know' exist,
and in none of them have
I ever come across a divine
requirement that you and
everyone else have to stop
and, out loud, talk to Jesus
before the school day can
begin.
I have in fact come
across some passages that
say much the opposite.
For a long time I
was against taking the
“under God” line out of
the Pledge of allegiance
(mainly for the sake of
tradition). Then I learned
that it has only been there
for fifty years. When 1
see the flag flying in the
breeze, it is under the sky.
More serious and
closer to me than prayer
in school though is this
“Intelligent Design”
rubbish I have been
hearing about.
Now I cannot contest
the notion that the universe
was created with a specific
plan and intent, with its
course laid out in advance
anymore than I could prove
it; but that is hardly reason
to attack evolution.
If there is a God who
designed the universe
so that it would spawn
humanity, then fine.
That is a theory on
the origins and purpose
of the universe, not a
contradiction of evolution.
Evolution is a study of
how, not the answer to the
ultimate why.
That the scientific
explanation fails to jibe
with a 3000 plus year old
metaphor does nothing to
change the fact that science
class’s deal with science,
not theology.
1 believe very
strongly in the principals
this country was founded
upon, including the right to
believe whatever you like.
You can even believe that
the Earth was created in
six days, that sexuality is a
choice, that Democrats are
right or that 1 am an idiot.
I have a big problem
though when these notions
are forced upon me despite
contradicting the founding
principals, my good
sense or simple scientific
observation.
As big a problem as
I have with the idea of
the wholesale removal of
religion from public life.
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Answers to questions
for state's Democrats
The progressive
Perspective
With Skyler Akins
The Georgia
Republican Party wants
to ask the Democratic-
Candidates forGovemorthe
follow ing list of questions:
1. Do you support
Cynthia McKinney’s
extreme views and
outrageous behavior?
Cynthia McKinneys
actions represent her as a
person, not the party.
Democrats are united
behind a clear vision
for a better state and
country. Republicans are
“DeLayed”, try ing to hide
behind McKinney because
they have not provided
America or Georgia with
real leadership.
They are even going
as far to target immigrants,
like America’s gay and
lesbian families in 2004,
in order to cover up their
culture of corruption.
2. Where do you stand on
gay marriage?
Gay Marriage in
Georgia has been decided
for years now. Georgia's
voters overwhelmingly
passed a constitutional
amendment banning
same-sex marriages in
our state back in 2004 to
get religous conservative
voters out to vote for Bush
and Isaakson.
This referendum
would have never made
it to voters without votes
from the Democrats in
the Assembly. Why do the
Republicans keep asking
this question?
Democrats want to
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“Congress shall make no law respecting an establish
ment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances. ”
- First Amendment, United States Constitution
talk about real issues. We
believe education and
healthcare should be top
priority in our state, not a
never-ending battle over
the rights of gays and
lesbians.
Roughly 50 percent
of Democrats support
marriage equality, its not a
bad idea, but you can count
on the
Republican Party to make
it into an election year
issue, because they have
no real policy to move our
state or country forward.
3. As governor, would
you have signed the
Women’s Right to Know
bill, requiring a 24-hour
waiting period before
a woman can have an
abortion?
A majority of main
stream Democrats support
a woman’s right to choose.
Since President Bush
signed the Partial Birth
Abortion Act abortions in
our nation have doubled,
so its clear that making it
illegal isn't the solution.
If abortions are made
illegal, then women will
result to unsafe measures
to have the abortion, and
that is definitely not the
answer.
Democrats are
fully behind initiatives
that prevent unwanted
pregnancies in the first
place, and we believe a 24
hour waiting period will
not help in this process.
4. Did you support
or oppose last year’s
landmark tort reform
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legislation?
No. Some Democrats
did support, hence its
passing, but this is a very
dangerous bill. A 22-
year-old man gets in a car
accident, the doctor during
the surgery carelessly
paralyzes a nerve in the
person’s spine; the person
will never walk again
and his arms were badly
damaged in the accident.
The current Tort
Reform Bill would say to
this individual that you
can only have $350,000
maximum, plus the medical
expenses.
How is a 22-year-old
person that is bedridden
without usage of his legs
and decreased usage of his
arms going to survive off
of $350,000 for the rest of
his life?
That's right, it's
impossible for him
to be able to do so,
which is precisely why
the Tort Reform Bill
introduced by Republican
Legislative Leadership is
immoral, and should be
immediately repealed.
The real solution is
more legislative oversight
into the insurance industry,
which makes billions in
profits a year at the pain
and suffering of people
across the nation.
Republican leadership
in the state of Georgia is
once again trying to play
(im(moral politics with the
people of Georgia.
The Democratic Party
is fighting for programs
like Peachcare, the HOPE
Scholarship, a healthier
environment, education
initatives and Medicaid/
Medicare.
These programs
are at the heart of moral
principals, but as always
you can leave the immoral
partisan politics to the
Republican Party.