Morning Bell: Liberalism is Failing | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Morning Bell: Liberalism is Failing | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Church and State

An odd connection just came to me. The Constitution of the United States states that the government should stay out of religion: the separation of church and state. It actually was written to keep government from forcing its citizens into any certain belief--one of the reasons the pilgrims left their homes to come here.

The intent of this amendment has been warped by government--mostly liberal and the ACLU--to oppose any and all religion. We have heard about the lawsuits to prevent nativity scenes on public property, the Ten Commandments posted in government buildings, and even the term, Merry Christmas. Locally, a district court just ruled on a lawsuit brought by a group of atheists from Texas. Apparently, the white crosses along side Utah roads showing where Highway Patrol troopers died, show a preference for Christianity. It is ludicrous enough to be almost funny. What other kind of a monument would signify that someone had died? Some atheist speeding along the highway would be worried that he wouldn't be treated fairly because troopers' families paid for memorial reminders?

Then, there is the media brouhaha about the building of a mosque close to ground zero. Much of the liberal left have been calling for tolerance, fairness, religious freedom. Don't they get the hypocrisy? Where are the atheists now? What if a place built for the religion that led to the deaths on 9-11 offends the people who pass it? Not the same thing? Why not? Does it depend on who is offended?

Finally, Islam has NO separation of church and state. It seems strange that the same leaders who make such a huge deal out of ours, don't seem to be concerned about that.

Apologies all around

I just saw a news blurb that Tiger Woods had his worst round of golf....in a long time. It made me remember his odd news conference where he apologized for his past poor behavior. Thomas Sowell put it in better words than I can:

He calls the tendency for public apologies "mushy thinking," and I think he has a very valid point. I agree that it comes with the loss of personal responsibility. What Tiger did was the fault of his fame, his money, his popularity, the conditions surrounding him, blah blah. If that were true, then wouldn't everyone who watches golf or spent money on anything that added to his wallet be responsible? Golf lovers everywhere were the cause of his demise? Hardly.

I contend that it was Tiger's own arrogance and narcissism that led to his troubles. I certainly didn't suffer anything and did not need to be apologized to.

The problem is bigger than Tiger Woods or the governor of South Carolina or whoever. The idea that society or our surroundings cause our misbehavior, or is responsible for our crimes, tries to diminish the notions of self-control and responsibility. Again, I defer to the words of Thomas Sowell:

Until next time, I'm sorry that my political attitude is one of choices and consequences, and it might not fit with your ideas about the evils of a "society." Wait, no I'm not sorry at all.

The Mallard Fillmore comic had another take on the same idea: