Discussion » Questions » Religion and Spirituality » Were you brought up in a strict religion? Would you be comfortable if those religious beliefs became law?
Jane S

Were you brought up in a strict religion? Would you be comfortable if those religious beliefs became law?

This is what prompted my question: I was brought up as a traditional Catholic and attended parochial schools until 8th grade and took weekly religious instruction after that. As I was reading through Project 2025, I was struck by how familiar some of it seemed. I did my own digging and found some ties to traditional Catholicism (as opposed to modern day Catholics,, who pick and choose). Further digging turned up just how Catholic our Supreme Court is. All of the Conservative justices are active Catholics or were raised Catholic, one liberal justice is Catholic. I am not a practicing Catholic, I have no ill will towards the Church, I just don't think those teachings, should influence our government. 

Posted - August 16
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Responses


  • 3714
    No I was not brought up in a strict religion.  We celebrated the Jewish holidays and Christmas, too.  I don't believe religion has any place in a public school.  If you want your child to learn about their religion, send them to a private religious school.  And no public funds should be available to a religious school.  
      August 16, 2024 11:22 AM MDT
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  • 11005
    I added a description to my question, because I haven't heard any discussion of the religious influences on our government other than Trump saying he wants us to be a Christian nation, which I oppose.
      August 16, 2024 3:28 PM MDT
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  • 10639
    Strict, no.  I was brought up by Christian parents, but they didn't force their views down my throat.

    No one can mandate "christian values" via a law.   They don't work that way (how would one mandate love?)  Public schools should not teach religion.  That's not their function.
      August 16, 2024 12:45 PM MDT
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  • 11005
    I added more of a description. I am concerned about  beliefs for any one religion influencing our lawmakers and our courts.
      August 16, 2024 3:31 PM MDT
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  • 8214
    No, I would not, in America we have religious freedom. 
      August 16, 2024 3:07 PM MDT
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  • 11005
    We should, but do religious beliefs influence our courts and our lawmakers.?
      August 16, 2024 3:32 PM MDT
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  • 8214
    It cannot be avoided due to human nature.  However, when it comes to things like Sharia Law, that's where I draw the line; when people are forced to mutilate their bodies so they can be controlled is an abomination in the strictest sense of the word.  Abuse of anyone, in the name of their religion, is wrong at the deepest level, no matter what the religion is. 


     This post was edited by Art Lover at August 17, 2024 6:32 PM MDT
      August 16, 2024 4:30 PM MDT
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  • 44617
    No...only terrorist muslim nations make their religious beliefs law. And we know how that works out.
      August 16, 2024 7:12 PM MDT
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  • 16781
    Snap. Raised RC and parochial schools until I was Confirmed. I'm also no longer a practising Catholic. I did toy with the idea of returning via the schismatic "Old" Catholic Church (which is considerably more progressive than Rome), until the College of Cardinals elected Josef Ratzinger (Benedict XVI). Jesus was a Jew, Ratzinger was a Nazi. We KNOW what the Nazis did to the Jews.
    He can possibly be forgiven for being in the HJ under the circumstance that he actually had no choice (though there's an equally compelling argument that nobody who wore the swastika should ever be Pontiff), but in Benedict's case the point is moot - membership of the NSDAP was never mandatory, he did that of his own volition and openly espoused antisemitism as a part of that. A tenet of Catholicism is Papal infallibility when speaking ex Cathedra (from the Seat of Peter) but I can't believe that. A Nazi is necessarily wrong no matter what chair his a$$ happens to be warming.
      August 17, 2024 12:07 AM MDT
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  • 17596
    No. 

    The government is made up of people who have belief systems and values of their own.  That is part of their being and will be part of their actions in both personal and professional lives.   Thank God the government is not made up of simply robotic human units.   I, personally, would be fine with a fully practicing Catholic SCOTUS.  I'm protestant but I remember hearing people say (when I was a kid)  they love Catholic legislators and judges.  I was never sure exactly why they felt that way.  I like every conservative member of the Court and had no idea  they were all Catholic.  I did assume them to all have a spiritual aspect to their lives.     So now the SCOTUS is six Catholics,  two protestants, and one Jew.  OK.  And the argument that it doesn't correlate to the makeup of the country is probably completely gone since the invasion of immigrants of the past few years.  That argument is lame to start with, but it has been out there a while.  JFK was the first Catholic in the White House.  There was a lot of discussion about that at the time around kitchen tables too.
      August 17, 2024 12:43 PM MDT
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  • 11005
    There is a difference between modern day Catholics, like Biden and Pelosi, and those who practice traditional Catholicism, especially those who are members of Opus Dei, such as Leonard Leo, Kevin Roberts, and some SCOTUS members. Traditional Catholicism forbids things like contraception and divorce. I think it's important to pay attention to outside influences on government. 
      August 17, 2024 1:44 PM MDT
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  • 17596
    I think you are looking for a problem that is not there.  "Outside influence."  Not outside influence, people bring their whole selves into their work.  If you are looking for people never influenced by anything outside themselves, you will not find them save for the boy raised by wolves in the wilderness, and even he learns from the wolves.  I think you have chosen what you wish to call outside influence. 
      August 18, 2024 7:13 AM MDT
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  • 11005
    By outside influence, I meant donor money, think tank input, lobbying for judicial appointments or for blocking judicial  appointments. I am not looking for a problem, I am observing what influences are shaping the government and commenting on it.  Of course we all have our own perspectives, but that is not at all what I am saying.  I am more concerned that our county is run by an elitist few, than I am by the actual results of that influence. 
      August 18, 2024 8:42 AM MDT
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  • 34280
    No, I was not.   
    I do not think anyone should be forced to believe anything they do not want to.   
    I think education money should follow the student and the parents should be able to send their children to whatever school they want....be it a public school,  a religious school, a charter school, a private school etc.  
    No child should  be stuck in a failing school. The parents should be able to use the tax money to send them to a school that works for their child.

    Every aspect of a person's life empacts their morals/values/opinions there is no way not to for these things not to influence our government through our elected/appointed officials. 
      August 17, 2024 6:44 PM MDT
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