The sad story of the Schaible family of Philadelphia has reached a compromise that demonstrates just how awkwardly religion and politics sit together. Believers in faith healing, the Schaibles watched their two-year old son die for lack of medical attention. No limits exist on what people are capable of believing. Belief is at the root of most religions, so any nation that advocates freedom of religion has to open itself to the bizarre and wonderful possibilities that follow. Belief can’t be legislated. Too many revolutions throughout the world have amply demonstrated that. If a religion decides that the use of turn-signals is sinful (apparently a popular doctrinal stance here in New Jersey), it may bring conflicts with civil authorities and other citizens. When a religion declares professional medical treatment to be wrong, it is simply exercising its right to believe. When civil laws declare that parents must watch over the physical welfare of their children, clashes with such faith systems are inevitable. Believe what you will, physical death will not be cheated.

The shift of religion from praxis to belief gave believers a shove down a very slippery slope. Ancient religions tended to be matters of practice: gods demand sacrifice, so we grudgingly give them that. In actual fact, sacrifices supported the temple staff, often an arm of the government. It was, although probably not disingenuous, taxation in disguise. To be the member of a community, you have to pay the price. The system started to break down when religious individuals began to internalize this external structure. Instead of just offering the sacrifice, you have to do it with the right intentions. Those intentions evolve into beliefs. And beliefs are the ultimate free agents.

When a society defines religion as a belief system to which you may (or may not) subscribe, then myriad religious concepts emerge. Offering religious institutions tax-exempt status only encourages such behavior. If you tax them, on the other hand, the wealthier religions will have more political influence. No matter what pious lips may say, money will always trump pure belief. Meanwhile very real human suffering takes place, hostage to belief systems made up by somebody else. Religion has given us many lofty ideals; maybe one of those ideals is that we should limit its own infinite power.

Borrowed from some place on the Internet