Christian Nation (tradition, evolution, America, churches, experience)

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Zambia: Churches Oppose "Christian Nation" Provision for Constitution

Zambia: Churches Oppose "Christian Nation" Provision for Constitution
In America, many Christian churches promote the idea that America is a "Christian Nation," thus also promoting the idea that non-Christians are second-class citizens. In Zambia, many Christian churches are adopting just the opposite position: they oppose defining Zambia as a "Christian Nation" in the Constitution out of concern for non-Christians.

They have argued that legislating faith and religion into the Constitution could lead to fundamentalism, which could be used against Christianity by a leadership of other religious persuasion. ... The bishops stated that such a declaration could lead to abuse of religion for purely political ends and even bring discredit to the name Christian as experience had shown that since 1992, Christianity had been brought into the political fray to the faith's detriment.

The question I'd like to ask is from the article - "What will it take for conservative Christians in America to figure this out? "

-pah-

[Ronald]

THE END OF THE AGE!!!!!!! Sorry Pah! I'm sure you hoped for sooner. It won't happen!

[dolly]

Originally Posted by pah

The question I'd like to ask is from the article - "What will it take for conservative Christians in America to figure this out? "

-pah-

A slap in the face. A really, really hard one. And even then, a lobotomy might be necessary.

The problem with the ones in America is that they aren't just conservative Christians. They are conservative Christians who have had discriminating notions and a superiority complex instilled in them since they were little kids (or since they converted).

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by Ronald

THE END OF THE AGE!!!!!!! Sorry Pah! I'm sure you hoped for sooner. It won't happen!

More's the pity!
-pah-

[Ronald]

I'll second that!

[The Voice of Reason]

In a way, I think it was inevitable that sooner or later, another country would pass us by in the evolution of democracy. Obviously, Zambians are learning from our mistakes as well as their own. Hat's off to the leadership of Zambia for not pandering to the limited ability to reason that seems to go with the right-wing arch conservative religious movement.

You don't think we could get an emigration visa for Pat Robertson and the rest of the televangelists, do you?

TVOR

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by The Voice of Reason

You don't think we could get an emigration visa for Pat Robertson and the rest of the televangelists, do you?

I don't think that would work, Voice. I think the Zambians would take one look at Robertson and deport him back to here. It's just that they sound too wise to allow him to hang around in their country.

On a more serious note: How is it possible that the Zambians can be so wise and our own leaders so foolish on this issue of whether we are or ought to call ourselves a Christian Nation?

It would be nice if our foolish leaders could wake up before they wreck something such as the Constitution, our traditions, etc. --- you know, the little things.

[Doc]

Just because a country is large, rich, and appears superior, they can be the most foolish leaders because they only do what is best for themselves and can get caught up in materialism and money. I do not believe in a theocracy! For they can put their own personal religous agendas before anything else. Anyone ever read about Thomas More. He was known as one of the first influential editorial writers of the Reinaissance and was not afraid to make fun of the wealthy, rich, and arrogant.

[robtex]

Wow great post!! espcially in lew of Bush's anti-athiesm statement.

http://www.holysmoke.org/sdhok/aa011.htm

A bigger problem may rely in the Bible though. A fundamentalist (what I am assuming you mean by conservative Christian) believes that anyone who does not accept Jesus as his savior (thus rejecting him as his savior) is going to burn in hell for eternity. Having that as a backdrop it must be very hard for them to see their non-christian friends and associates face this peril.
I have been asked to convert numerous times in order to avoid that particular peril. With a dogma as inflexable as theirs I see the non-tolerant propogation of their religon as the natural evolution of it.


maybe the question is how did Zambia accrue its intrepretation of a tolerant Christanity and America a relativly intolerant one?