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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Film depicts Shasta tribe's struggle to bring fish back Bear cub wanders into Rite Aid Police reports Blue Toba erupts onto dining scene Grizzlies row to raise money for regatta Education Goal not reached, but don't count out 'Count Me In' yet Student says free speech issue overblown Interim president leads in a different direction Students ask, 'What would Baba do?' Foundation kicks off ambitious 'Count Me In' fundraising campaign Environment Bear cub wanders into Rite Aid Kalmiopsis' future at stake if mining goes forward Fires and forests evolved together, but now people are in the mix Marijuana growers are threat to salmon, biologists conclude Annual tour shows how to live green Business Blue Toba erupts onto dining scene Interim president leads in a different direction Silvio Calabi: Acura’s 2015 TLX is two cars in one Carpe Noctem Cultivating, nourishing and honoring community resources Politics and elections Richardson accuses Kitzhaber of 'corruption' in final debate Stricker steps down from Talent council Merkley-Wehby to debate in Medford Ashland land use rule review continues Council backs bump in tax to support buses State News Nation - World Obituaries Death Notices Alvin Simmons Death Notices James Waldo Littlefield James W. Littlefield Sports Latest Stories Grizzlies row to raise money for regatta SOU football team falls to No. 7 in NAIA rankings Grizzlies run out of magic in loss to No. 3 Springfield No. 4 SOU, No. 3 Carroll to square off in Frontier Conference showdown Third-ranked Concordia strikes quick, topples SOU High school Grizzlies row to raise money for regatta Grizzlies run out of magic in loss to No. 3 Springfield Ashland hopes soft shells can reduce head injuries Grizzlies can't hold lead in five-set loss to Challengers Ashland volleyball team pushes Summit in three-set loss Southern Oregon University SOU football team falls to No. 7 in NAIA rankings No. 4 SOU, No. 3 Carroll to square off in Frontier Conference showdown Third-ranked Concordia strikes quick, topples SOU SOU wrestler Gutches to compete in NWCA All-Star Classic Raider forward Thompson voted CCC preseason POY Opinion Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Granlund cartoon: Keene NH rioting Wilderness successes could be lost if funding not restored Can Dems win back the working man? State of love not state's business Editorial Our view: Positive about Bates Our View: Fostering e-success Our View: Elect Talbert and Moro M. 90 lessens partisanship Our View: Seffinger for Position 4 Letters Letters to the Editor, Oct. 21 Letters to the editor Letters to the editor Letters to the editor Letters to the editor Guest opinions Wilderness successes could be lost if funding not restored Religion and politics in America City should revise its rules for murals Into the heart of darkness Herb Rothschild: Peace begins at the table Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Finding your voice Best Bets: Things to do around Ashland Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cast makes 'The Judge' worth watching Tutunov Piano Series begins at SOU Theater New plays debut at ANPF Camelot Theatre presents 'Spotlight on Johnny Mercer' Music Q&A: Broken Down Guitars The Farr Side: Bryan Adams releases album of influential hits Tutunov Piano Series begins at SOU Q&A: Becky Alter Q&A: Band du Pays Swing Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cast makes 'The Judge' worth watching Movie review: ‘The Judge’ doesn’t know when to end Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas 'Gone Girl' is a dark, twisting winner Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Blue Toba erupts onto dining scene Fall plastic round-up set at The Expo Kitchen Call: New interest in old-fashioned buttermilk Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Cheese balls deserve more respect Shayne Looper: Whatever happened to tolerance on college campuses? Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs NEWS NOW Fall plastic round-up set at The Expo ... Calendar: Tuesday, Oct. 21 ... 10 things to know for Monday ... Fall plastic round-up set at The Expo ... Calendar: Tuesday, Oct. 21 ... 10 things to know for Monday ... RELOCATIONS Religion and politics in America DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Oct. 11, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Oct. 11, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News At my suggestion and using my draft as its starting point, two years ago South Mountain Friends Meeting (Quakers) in Ashland adopted a set of principles it regarded as useful for understanding the right relationship of religion to politics. It differs markedly from widespread practice. I share it (with slight abbreviation) in this election year. We affirm that it is appropriate for religious people to bring their faith values to bear on issues in the public forum. By doing so, we promote the welfare of both the church and the state, even if it means challenging existing political structures to grow beyond their old forms to meet new and emergent needs. We affirm the wisdom of our nation’s founders when, in the First Amendment to our Constitution, they forbade any effort to establish a state religion, as well as any state interference in the free exercise of religion. It follows that we oppose any effort to declare the United States a “Christian nation” or to conform its laws to interpretations of biblical law, Sharia, or any other legal code based specifically on any single faith tradition’s scripture. We affirm that the United States may claim to be a nation “under God,” in the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, only if all nations are equally recognized as being "under God.” We reject any “American exceptionalism” based on a belief that the United States enjoys a special measure of divine favor. We believe our nation can be exceptional only to the extent that we cherish justice, freedom, and human dignity to an exceptional degree. . . . We affirm the sufficiency of civil laws to achieve as much good as is possible in a state, and we affirm the origin of such laws in the experience and reason of humanity. We support the right of people of faith to present and champion public policy proposals; however, we do not support the attempt of any religious institution to impose its creed upon the public at large ... We have two further grounds for opposing such appeals. Historically, legislation rooted in human interpretation of the Bible often has abetted unjust purposes, such as the enslavement of African Americans and the legal subjection of women. In addition, such inconsistent application of biblical texts to public issues has served to promote sectarian agendas. A set of writings so diverse as the Bible (and thus subject to selective use) may properly guide religious practice — in which there is ample room for voluntary obedience — but has wreaked great harm when translated into uniform and coercive civil legislation. Finally, we affirm the urgent need for us to be outspoken advocates of justice and care for each other, which are the forms love must take when projected into civil society. Now that wealth and power are being accumulated in ever fewer hands; now that national security is measured far more in terms of military might than of a healthy, well-educated and economically secure citizenry; now that the percentage of our population living behind prison bars is the largest in our history and among the highest in the world; now that the stranger in our midst is made the scapegoat for our national ills; now that public service is stigmatized and the common good scorned; and now that our planet is endangered by reckless disregard rooted in human consumption and entitlement, we declare that the intrinsic worth of every individual and all life upon the Earth calls us to illuminate civil discourse with the light entrusted to us by the spirit of life. Herb Rothschild Jr. is chairman of the board of Peace House. 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