Well stated, chavos. For myself:
1. Mystic humanist. I am unwilling to assign the mythical role of GOD to any of the representations I have seen presented. On the other hand, I recognize and have experienced divine presence myself. Therefore I believe in the Sacred, but I don't know about the true nature of God except through those who, throughout history, have been conduits of the eternal: Siddhartha Gautama, Jesus of Nazareth, Mohammed, among many others who are less famous and may even still be alive. I see the nature of God as being reflected in the wisdom, compassion and conviction that these people exemplify.
2. Religious government is dangerous precisely because it cannot be held accountable. To what earthly authority can one appeal if the divine Authority's representatives on Earth have denied your request? And how can such a government be made to answer for its errors, or even its crimes? Absolutes, such as the absolute power of a God, have no place in the subjective and endlessly compromising world of government. Yes, this statement is an absolute; but it is one of my favorite paradoxes, and it is a valid position. Someone will always be advocating for one absolute or another; the trick is not to allow one to gain primacy over the others. Thus, government will include those who seek to introduce God into its workings, and this is acceptable and a good thing. What is not acceptable is for them to succeed. That would lead to oppression, massacres and destruction for all who do not align with the ruling God-concept.
3. A society succeeds if it can provide the greatest possible freedom to individuals while simultaneously maintaining its sense of communal belonging and responsibility. These freedoms may include the acquisition of wealth, while responsibility may likewise include caring for those who make your earnings possible. Exploitation, greed and corruption, representing an imbalance to one side or the other of the individual/state contract, would not thrive in such a society; it would care for its members without fail, and without arbitrarily imposing unnecessary strictures.
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"I would not dare to so dishonor my Creator God by attaching His name to that book (the Bible)." -- Thomas Paine
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