The purpose of Our Conscience weblog is to facilitate a greater discussion and understanding of church and state separation in our community and in others. Underlying this is the value that each individual should be allowed to follow the dictates of his or her own conscience without influence, coercion, or direction from the State when it comes to matters of religion.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Ignorance Education

Students will have to obtain a permission slip from their parents in order to attend sex Ed classes if a new Missouri bill passes (HB1075). Since Missouri added sex education requirements teenage pregnancy in Missouri has decreased significantly. I am not 100% sure that sex education would directly decrease teenage pregnancy but I am betting that ignorance will not.

The bill also requires that schools “present scientifically accurate information” including that “at conception… an unborn child's life begins.” Sexual reproduction occurs when life is developed from pre-existing life, from the cells of organisms sometimes known as parents. Life only “begins” in this process in the minds of those who believe that abiogenesis (the generation of life from non-living matter) takes place through supernaturalism at the point of conception. In other words, that a supernatural being micromanages this biological process.

It seems to me that God might be too busy listening to a million or so simultaneous prayers, choosing the winners of sporting events and wars, and altering the path of weather patterns. If I was God I would set in motion physical laws and biological processes that would take care of themselves in order to relax a bit, maybe work on some spiritual matters.

No, I am not criticizing religion in general. I do think it is arrogant to crown our own beliefs as the point of reference as to what is and is not religious. At least we could avoid disguising our beliefs as science and making laws about them.

Friday, April 07, 2006

The Excitement of Doing Nothing

I am so glad to hear that the Missouri House has passed a proposed constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters, would make school prayer that is legal completely legal! Those that support it will be accomplishing just as much as those who oppose it. Only during an election year would we get such an opportunity to do absolutely nothing so wonderfully.