[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSWM7_bdmy0]GOP debate Florida -- Ron Paul "Faith effects my Oath of Office, promise to the people" -- 1.26.12 - YouTube[/ame] And also a 30 year consistent voting record..
But in the end it doesn't matter what he thinks, it's what the state governor thinks. You're own your own if he's a modern Christian reconstructionist.
Faith is not good, for anybody and especially not a president. We need people that can think, not those who pray and believe in gods and demons. This man has courted the support of the most extreme religious/political extremists. He left the ranch big time. Like the man says, in the video below, he wants an economy based on the bible. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujlizp5UmUE]Ron Paul: Economy based on the Bible - YouTube[/ame]
It is a misconception of the Silver Rule, probably with origins in the ancient Far East, which says, "Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you". The Golden Rule has been used by the religious to forcefully convert people, and do whatever they believe is necessary to save souls - historically there is always something to be gained monetarily for those behind such actions. An analogy of the Golden Rule would be a man who sees a very sexy woman, imagines that he'd like her to take advantage of him, and rapes her because that's what he'd like done to himself by her. The message of the Golden Rule, from Jesus' sermon on the mount, has raped the world, caused untold misery, and made fortunes for the liars and thieves involved who represent organized religion and profiteering from wrongdoing.
I disagree with moral high horse POV. Remember, its this same mentality that makes drugs(AKA Weed) illegal, simply on a different issue. The use of force to coerce someone is wrong, no matter your opinion, which is just that, an opinion. I dislike people who think they know whats best for me because I may have a differing opinion. I know whats best for me, and you dont, simple as that. I dont care if they teach Shari law in a school down the street from me, wanna know why? Cause Im not a bigot. Not every muslim wants to kill me, just like not every black guy will steal your CD player, just like not every Mexican is an illegal. Besides if "they" plan on blowing me up Ill shoot them first, Im well equipped thanks to one of the few rights the statists havent taken all the way away yet. Hahahahahaha the idea that freedom isnt free is simply preposterous. The only way to be free is to NOT be free? Man I almost broke a sweat from laughing so hard. If I lived out in nature, with no government at all, the only thing I would have is my freedom. So how isnt it free again? (hint: it is)
That's not taught in school... The videos you linked are cartoons not school... TV not school... The translations that are provided for these videos come from MEMRI - a media source ran by an ex IDF agent and financed by dubious sources. Propaganda...
So do you disagree with the Silver Rule too? How has the golden rule been used to coerce people? That doesn't make any sense. That's an extreme example, but a person who would enjoy being raped is probably a sociopath and will commit crimes regardless of a "golden rule". I would wager that applying the golden rule prevents more harm than it causes. I don't see how.
This post is ridiculous on so many levels. Your example is a twisted and intentional misinterpretation of that teaching. The rest of your post (i.e. raping the world, etc.) can be attributed to religion itself and human nature taking advantage of it, not the actual teachings of Jesus. Just because human beings abused the power that religion has over people doesn't mean that teaching people to "love thy neighbor" or anything else like that caused the world unspeakable amounts of misery... It's the same argument you see when people look at a Ron Paul supporter who goes a little too crazy. Would you agree it seems irrational to not support Ron Paul just because how one of his supporters behaves?
Either God fucked up when man was created, or he has a very sick mind to invent a creature that he KNOWS in advance is going to fail him - and then sends him to burn eternally in the fiery furnace. There's a freethinker story of a watchmaker who curses and smashes a watch that he assembled, because it does not keep time properly - and takes no personal responsibility for the matter. The Abrahamic religions have been fucking things up in the world for over two thousand years. Ron Paul supports this madness, as do others, but he has something else - he seems to actually believe in it, and wants to spread it, more than most of them.
I used to hate religion too, but I've come to recognize the good that has come from a system of morality, even if it is based on fear. The charity of religious people vs non-religious people is proof of this. As far as I know Ron Paul is only preaching the morality of Christianity, a code of ethics I find few faults in. He is not attempting to enforce religious laws or even condoning the actions of religious bodies.
Do you have any data showing that non-religious people are not as involved in charity and philanthropy as religous people are? Less religious countries, such as Sweden, have done as much or more for good causes than religous nations, on average. He has roots in Christian Reconstructionist groups like the Constitution Party, and supported the Constitution Party candidate, Chuck Baldwin, for president in 2008, after he (Ron Paul) lost his bid for the Republican nomination. It will be interesting to see who he supports this time, after he loses again. To answer your earlier question as to whether I believe in practicing the Silver Rule, the answer is yes, I do and I do not want some bible thumping religionist lunatics doing to me what they think they want done to themselves.
Nothing wrong with religion at all. People are whats wrong with religion. Think of religion as water. You can keep someone alive with the right amount of water and with the right amount of water you can drown someone.
The entire premise of religion is based on faith, which means accepting the words of other humans who claim to have been in touch with a spiritual world - with absolutley no proof to back up these assertions. This tendency to believe in fables and lies is a serious flaw in the operation of the human mind, and has led mankind to catastrophic actions. Religion nurtures this because it needs gullible people to continue, so children are conditioned to not question anything to do with it. A guy like Ron Paul comes along, says that the Bible requires gold and silver as currency, and that we must go back to it, so there's a certain percentage of people who will agree with this notion. Fortunately, not enough of them are around to get him in the White House.
Religious Faith and Charitable Giving | Hoover Institution as for Sweden, the government doles out a lot of aid but the individuals are lame: Swedes perform poorly in charitable giving survey - The Local Just because he supports Constitutionalist Chuck Baldwin for President doesn't mean he supports everything Chuck Baldwin has ever said. So you agree with Ron Paul and Jesus.
Blaming religion for all of the bullshit that happened in history is simply a misdirection. The problem is actually statism, the idea that it's ok to initiate force on people who don't desire to live in your system is something that goes way beyond religion. If you can limit the state on how it can control your life, you're essentially limiting the ability of religous fundies being able to influence your life as well.