R&I ~ MJM
Hi
Historically Christian?
My friend Sir Tainley using a phrase when commenting on his post ‘Does Religion Lead to Better Society? Buddhist Edition’ gave me the impetus to write this discussion. The phrase Sir Tainley used was ‘Name a country with extensive protection for homosexual rights that isn’t historically Christian.’ However, I beg to differ on both Christian countries and Christians giving protection to Homosexuals! I will show that being forced to attend church does not make anyone, Christian. Or working in a garage does not make you a car! If we are to use the term Historically, then the Welsh were followers of Druidism. The Englisce were Historilly followers of Wodinor Odin as were the Germanic hordes of Europe. Whilst Historically Romans were Pagan.
The term a ‘Country Historically Christian’ is incorrect unless one arguing about a time when everyone paid tax to go to church and paid a fine if they did not go to church—a catch 22 situation. Legislation to protect sexual orientation was passed during the advent of Secularism, as Christianity outlawed Homosexuals and others. It was Secularism that gave the rights of those deemed by the church as the untouchables. However, the Church tax became abolished both in Britain and in the US. What we saw was the congregations went from a full-house to a smattering overnight after ending church tax.
As an example, The Church of England (C of E) today has a congregation as of 2018 is 722,000 (18,000 less than in 2016). Out of an Englisce population as of 2018 of 56,000,000. No one can claim that England is Christian when the state religion C of E can only boast 1/77th part of the populace. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland never had a church established status and therefore are secular, as is most of Europe, where the population of churchgoers is just a fraction of the populace. (See file picture above!)
However, attendance at Christmas services in 2017 was the highest in a decade, at 2.68 million, suggesting that the services are seen increasingly as an element of festivities rather than regular religious worship.
If we talk of Democracy them the list for the Secular States in Europe will increase if the Four Nations of the UK were not stigmatised, with England C of E under the umbrella of the United Kingdoms, which we are not. Also, we could add the Netherlands, which since 2019 has majority secularism over the religious. Also Norway!
States That Still Pay Church Tax As of 2019
A church tax is a tax imposed by the state on members of some religious congregations to provide financial support of churches, such as the salaries of its clergy and to pay the operating cost of the church. A church tax is imposed, in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries. In Spain and Portugal paying a church tax is optional.[The Economist, 12 September 2019, Why so many non-religious Europeans pay church taxes]
The US after the Revolution of 1776.
The debate in Virginia profoundly influenced future discussions about public funding of religion; indeed, Virginia’s experience served as the primary historical example in the Supreme Court’s pivotal Everson decision more than 160 years later. The debate in Virginia arose after the state’s General Assembly sought in 1784 to pass a bill that would provide public funds to support teachers of Christianity. Future presidents James Madison, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates at the time, and Thomas Jefferson, then-U.S. minister to France and previously the governor of Virginia, urged the legislature not to pass the bill. In a famous 1785 pamphlet, Madison made several key arguments against the bill, including the claim that religion will flourish only if it is supported entirely by voluntary contributions. The Virginia General Assembly rejected the bill to support Christian teachers and, one year later, adopted Jefferson’s Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, which he had written in 1779, the same year he became Virginia’s governor. The measure provided that “no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever.” https://www.pewforum.org/2009/05/14/shifting-boundaries2/
So it is secular governments from the late 1700s that have protected the vulnerable sexually-orientated in our western societies. Not Christian or any other religion.
US Treaty of Tripoli 1797: Article 11 Further States it Secularism.
‘As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion. As it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen. And as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.’ https://study.com/academy/lesson/treaty-of-tripoli-in-1797-article-11.html
Comment on part or all the post?
Keep safe!
Cofion
Jero Jones
Article URL : https://breakingnewsandreligion.online/discuss/