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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 1984)
Tuesday, September 18, 1934 Daily Nebrasksn Pago 5 T History proves Reagan right on religious issue he outpouring or editorial to only include traditional theism, tral," as popular misconception the most theocratic Christian, by the modern state's claim to indignation at Keagans "re- However, modern thinkers cor- has it, then, in the words of Pres- Given this idea, it is simply absurd "neutrality." If we are honest, we lijion rnd politics" remark rectlv understand that t.h term hvtrrian theoWian R. J. Rush- to arffue. as the Lincoln Star did won't mistake the uncontrolled is more a testimony to the shal- logically includes non-theistic be- doony, "no disestablishment of in a recent editorial, that (t)he spasm3 of a dead myth for signs lowncss of the popular American Uefs as well. The gist of this mod- religion as such, is possible in any absolute truth ,is that religion of real life, mind than it represents a justi- ern thought is that the indlvidu- society. A church can be dbestab- and politics do not mix and that . A Fordham University political flea outrage at a president who al's answer to the fundamental lished. and a Darticular religion is one of the most fundamental science professor provides us with ha3 overstepped his role m society, questions of existence is the defin- can be supplanted by another, truths on which this nation was an appropriate insight into the this sense every thinking person, er religion. Since the foundations Even the most cursory of reflec- gious nature of politics is finally including the antl-theist and eg- of law are inescapably religious, tlons upon the nature of the state understood: "The pluralist game nostic, are religious. In this sense no society exists without a reli- and the nature of religion would will continue to be played, of gious foundation or without a have prevented an individual from course, because there is no other law system which codifies the penning such silliness it repre- game in town. But there is no also, the term "ideology" becomes synonymous with the term "religion." The U.S. Supreme Court recog II to statement seems so pat ently true that it scarce needs justiacatlon. let com of the press and public doubt the religious nature modern secular state. "among religions in this country r.zzzzn remarked at a Dallas which do not teach what would prayer breakfast that politics and generally be considered a belief In religion are closely connected, the existence of God. morality of its religion. sents argument from mindless need for it to keep on being a con- The paradigm case for exclu- platitude. Yet, fundamentally, it fidence game in which one side members nized this understanding of rell- lon 01 ine explicitly religious i3inougniiuireiiecuonwnicnna3 proclaims ns cause as neuirauiy seem to fion when, in a 1931 ca3e it ncmmeanLngrulpOiiticaialaiogue oeen so lacking in trie editorial ana tne otner siae is guinoie nftho inrlurfprf SpruLir Humanism Is asserted to be that of "reraous critiques or ueagan's remarks, enougn to oeiieve it. . . . vve snau Harvard laiv nrnfessnr T?jrn1H .1 Given this new understanding portions. Berman observes In his truly sem- we are able to realize that the Erich Goldhagen, a Harvard inal work, Law and Revolution, core values of the First Amend- expert on the Holocaust, and a that in the 10th and 20th centur- ment are Just a3 threatened with recent visitor to Lincoln, report ics there was a "very gradual a secular state as it Is with a more concluded that although reduction of traditional religion conventionally understood theoc- genocide has occurred for -cento the level of a personal, private racy. turies, it has become more corn matter . . . while other belief sys- on in h century, largely terns new secular religions (ide- Tivo law professors in a because of the rise of powerful ologles, "isms") - were raised to ' 1980 Harvard Civil Rights - Civil secular Idec ogies that seek to the level of passionate faiths for Liberties Law Review article mus- destroy the old society in order to which people collectively were ed that "the imposition of secular produce a new one. willing not only to die but also to values may constitute as signifi- Additionally, as Professor Ber livc new lives. cant an interference with First man writes, the pronounced sec Amendment values as the impo- ular religions of the Enlighten "LibercJ des&ecr&cy wa3 the sition of religious beliefs. ment gave birth to the "exaggerat flrst great secular religion in Vest- "Yet ... the Court has left the ed nationalism" of the 10th cen cm history the first ideology establishment of other ideologies tury. We should not need to be which became divorced from tra- untouched." They wondered about reminded that the product of ditionsi Christianity and at the Thomas Jefferson's "post mortem thb avowedly secular period were same time took over from tradi- feelkgs" on the Issue: "Would he two wars of a magnitude hereto tional Christianity both its sense perhaps grieve that the First fore never imagined and a score oi tne sacrea ana some oi its aiuchuikchc icswi itii&Mm m- utu na.uini!uav"wi"1 stead of ideology?" Modern analysis completely un dermines the rationale of the pub lic outcry over Reagan's remark wars." However, secularism no i ne mytrt ci me neuirai, nonre- piay me piuraiisi game more non- not solved the plague of religious ligious, secular state is dead. If estly, perhaps even with better war, in fact it has exacerbated the state la not explicitly and results, If we admit openly what the problem to horrendous pro- honestly religious, then it is sur- the game is and what stakes we reptitlously religious as evidenced are playing for." mpjor values." The lamentable aspect of the current outrage expressed over a?an a remark is that it is based upon a superficial understand- about the necessary relationship ing of the nature of religion. Too between religion and politics. In often the term "religion" is thought deed, if secular belief is not "neu- ed war is our criterion for in volvement in politics, the secula rist does not have much over which to boast. "Secular" is not to be equated with "neutral" Secular viewpoints are just as religious as those of v,,;;l ' ft-. str-vx 250 ks uHioHuuH - -k-, Erlzd receiver . c-rioo R"30 . ' I SOM15xn-ooo ! ' Rig. 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