Religion and Governments across the World

Essay by AGHigh School, 10th grade March 1997

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The World's Longest War

Where We Are

Journals practice a laudable self-censorship of criticism of religions. The most vicious devil

worship is mentioned with little comment and then only in crime reporting of the atrocities

committed. This is a good thing. Religious hatreds are so easily inflamed, and there is so

much history of religious persecution, that we are much better off with this self restraint.

Furthermore the separation of church and state is spelled out in our constitution and is

practiced in most countries of the world, even in the former USSR and China. In democracies

it is legal for a political party to yearn for religious domination, but in all democratic countries

such parties are very small and never reach the stage of challenging their constitutions. The

name 'Christian Democratic Party,' common in Europe, refers to moral roots, not to theocratic

ambitions. The consequence of this separation of church and state is that political contention

is not poisoned by religious hatred.

There is one exception, Islam, a theocracy which has savaged the world for over a thousand

years. Its religious doctrine is that church and state are one and that canon law and civil law

are one. It periodically believes that unbelievers must be converted or conquered and that

hating infidels is a virtue and killing an infidel is a ticket to heaven. In many of the faithful this

religious fanaticism has merged with the secular fanaticism of Marxism-Leninism to make a

witch's brew of hate and savagery against Christendom and capitalism. ('America is the Great

Satan.')

The demise of Marxism-Leninism in Europe does not extend to the Middle East. Russian and

Chinese weapons continue to be sold for Arab oil money. During centuries of warfare the

western countries have become democracies. Even Eastern Europe is avalanching into...