Monday, March 21, 2011

Stark: secular civility

As for Southerners as ignorant fundamentalists, that brings me to the worst current offenders of norms of civility: secularists, both churched and unchurched.

Recently the local media expressed approval when the chief of police of Seattle prohibited his officers from wearing uniforms to take part in March for Jesus.  The media were equally agreeable when, the next day, the chief wore his uniform to march in the LGBT Parade...
[Stark goes on to give several other similar examples of this kind of dichotomy]
...The clear standard used by most of the media is that moral engagement is wonderful so long as it is entirely secular.  As for religious morality, or indeed any deeply felt religious expression, nothing could be more misguided or even dangerous.

One True God, p251-252

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