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I often wonder why religion is protectes, whereas political opinion isn’t... after all, both are opinions, often concerning the same subjects, and the differenc
by tomp 9y ago
I often wonder why religion is protectes, whereas political opinion isn’t... after all, both are opinions, often concerning the same subjects, and the difference is mainly nominal.
Would James Damore be spared if he claimed not that he thinks that women are whatever, but that he believes so?!
- apatters 9y agoI think the answer here is that religion was much more fundamental to American identities in 1776 than it is today. In US history and still today in other countries there are lots of examples of people being violently persecuted for believing in a certain religion, much fewer for holding a political opinion. You could make an argument that in the US people of different religions get along better than they used to and as a result religion no longer requires the Constitutional protections it currently enjoys. I would respond that as a society we probably have bigger fish to fry.
- TheCoelacanth 9y agoAt that point in history, two wars fought over religion, the 30 Year's War and the French Wars of Religion were the first and third deadliest wars in European history (the Napoleonic Wars were second). They hardly could have avoided having their political thinking shaped by that.
- humanrebar 9y agoWhether a god exists isn't something one can change either. Sure, we can force people to at least act like they believe in a god (or not). But is it tyrannical to do so? Plausibly, yes.