LOFTON / Re: Defamation of Religion

[RJLipkin at aol.com]

Insisting  there is no religion--it doesn't exist--but "religion" can 
nevertheless be used  intelligibly (as a bracket term). suggests that one has an 
elaborate  argument that no matter how much it might vary from ordinary 
intelligent  discourse, he or she wants to impose on you. I think I'll pass on examining 
that  argument, but go right ahead and articulate anyway. 

Bobby

Robert  Justin Lipkin
Professor of Law
Widener University School of  Law
Delaware

Ratio Juris
,  Contributor: _  http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/_ 
(http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/) 
Essentially Contested  America, Editor-In-Chief 
_http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/_ (http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/)  
 

 
In a message dated 8/1/2008 10:33:28 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jlof at aol.com writes:

In point of fact, strictly speaking, there is no such thing that  actually 
exists that is called "religion." That's why I put it in quotes.  "Religion" is 
an abstract category that no one actually practices any more  than someone 
plays "sports" or eats "food." Thus, I do not believe you can  "trivialize" that 
which does not actually exist. As for creating "conceptual  and practical 
confusion," I believe this happens when one talks about unreal  things as if they 
are real. In any event, if someone denies that all  governments are 
"religious" in origin, and based on some kind of "religion,"  let's test what I say. 
Name me a government that you say is not "religious"  and I'll show you how it 
is. Thank you. 

John Lofton, Editor,  TheAmericanView.com
Recovering Republican

"Accursed is that peace of  which revolt from God is the bond, and blessed 
are those contentions by which  it is necessary to maintain the kingdom of 
Christ." -- John  Calvin.


-----Original Message-----
From:  RJLipkin at aol.com
To: religionlaw at lists.ucla.edu
Sent: Fri, 1 Aug 2008  6:52 am
Subject: Re: LOFTON / Re: Defamation of Religion


This  certainly trivializes the concept of "religion." A government that 
persecutes  theists, defames religion in general, and so forth is religious? I 
suppose  the argument is that such a government simply adopts the "wrong"  
religion.  I suppose similarly each individual is religious no  matter what that 
person's view is about the existence of God or the practice  of religion. Taking 
this route, however,  creates both conceptual  and practical confusion, but 
one is, of course, free to take it. To what  end?
 
Bobby

Robert Justin  Lipkin
Professor of Law
Widener University School of  Law
Delaware

Ratio Juris




, Contributor: _ http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/_ 
(http://ratiojuris.blogspot.com/) _
Essentially  Contested America, Editor-In-Chief _ 
(http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/) _http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/_ 
(http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/)  
 

 
In a message dated 7/31/2008 5:38:45 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
jlof at aol.com writes:

ALL government is "religious." The only  question is: Which "religion" will a 
government be based on.  



 (http://www.essentiallycontestedamerica.org/) 


 
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