One small step of reason... one giant leap over taxpayer-paid faith-healing.
This is something religionists have to get comfortable with: Reasonable decision making. Our congress has recently acted to scratch-out all clauses pertaining to "paid medical faith-healing" and "paid spiritual healing" from its upcoming health care reform bill... Thank reason.
Religionists on the whole won't likely not be very surprised by the news. It's not like congress is saying don't pray for your sick friends (since everyone knows prayer doesn't work.) What they're saying instead is, we know prayer doesn't work so we're not letting tax money pay for it. You see, there isn't any difference between the two positions stated with regard to the effectiveness of prayer, yet there remains a difference... individual liberty is protected. People who want to pray can continue to act stupidly and believe in prayer if they like. Those who want to beat drums, shake rattles, make smoke and chant or bend their knees and clasp their hands to save their sick and dieing relatives, can... and the public won't have to pay for it. That's good for all of us.
That's how reason works for everyone and I hope believers will get use to the idea that our legal system isn't "out to do them wrong" but rather it is out to make reasoned decision based on evidence and to protect the remainder of society from being forced into taking any part in or paying for stupidity. And that's KOOL, isn't it...!?
Honestly!
This is something religionists have to get comfortable with: Reasonable decision making. Our congress has recently acted to scratch-out all clauses pertaining to "paid medical faith-healing" and "paid spiritual healing" from its upcoming health care reform bill... Thank reason.
Religionists on the whole won't likely not be very surprised by the news. It's not like congress is saying don't pray for your sick friends (since everyone knows prayer doesn't work.) What they're saying instead is, we know prayer doesn't work so we're not letting tax money pay for it. You see, there isn't any difference between the two positions stated with regard to the effectiveness of prayer, yet there remains a difference... individual liberty is protected. People who want to pray can continue to act stupidly and believe in prayer if they like. Those who want to beat drums, shake rattles, make smoke and chant or bend their knees and clasp their hands to save their sick and dieing relatives, can... and the public won't have to pay for it. That's good for all of us.
That's how reason works for everyone and I hope believers will get use to the idea that our legal system isn't "out to do them wrong" but rather it is out to make reasoned decision based on evidence and to protect the remainder of society from being forced into taking any part in or paying for stupidity. And that's KOOL, isn't it...!?
Honestly!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment