6/11/08

Religion of the Marketplace
By: Mark W Adams


Why is it that conservatives treat the marketplace like it were a shrine, a holy place where no government should tread, yet have zero problems with mixing religious values, at least fundamentalist Christian ones, with government policy.

They will fund religious education through the ruse of vouchers, campaign against same-sex marriage because it violates the "sanctity" of the institution, fight abortion strictly on "moral" grounds, and funds churches through Faith Based initiatives.

And yet, mention that something is authorized via the Commerce Clause and the righties lose their minds. Suggest that corporations ought to behave like good citizens by paying reasonable taxes on exorbitant profits and be subjected to regulations that protect the environment and prevent exploitation of the public and you'd think you were promoting child porn the way they attack you.

Look, the Bible, good book that it is, full of great life lessons and all that, was NOT one of the founding documents that form the legal and political basis of our nation. Being a good American does not mean it's okay to substitute your deeply held religious beliefs for what this nation stands for -- as long as you wear the right jewelry on your lapel.

Mixing religion and politics is completely anathema to the American system. Regulating and taxing corporations, on the other hand, is right there in the Constitution.

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