Mitt Romney gave another fine speech today on religious liberty. He addressed, among other things, the importance of America guaranteeing its citizens freedom of all religions and philosophies. I find this quote eloquent:
If a society takes it upon itself to prescribe and proscribe certain streams of belief–to prohibit certain less-favored strains of conscience–it may be the non-believer who is among the first to be condemned. A coercive monopoly of belief threatens everyone, whether we are talking about those who search the philosophies of men or follow the words of God.
We are all in this together. Religious liberty and liberality of thought flow from the common conviction that it is freedom, not coercion, that exalts the individual just as it raises up the nation.
When he says “we are all in this together” he is talking about everybody – Christians, Muslims, Atheists, etc. — everyone who values freedom of thought and expression. The entire text of Romney’s speech along with some interesting comments can be found here.
Observing Romney’s (now suspended) run for President and the public reaction to it have made me appreciate more than ever the importance of separating church from state.
May 18, 2008 at 10:07 am |
And yet several posts later you declared that diversity is unacceptable when it is the kind you don’t like (re: gay marriage).
in case you aren’t aware these two positions are directly opposed.
May 19, 2008 at 11:03 am |
You’re right. Let’s include child-rapists and murderers as well, in the name of diversity. And while we’re at it, let’s let the adulterers, pornographers, and wife-beaters have an equal stab as those of us who love and cherish and server those around us. We’re all equal, right?