The Culture of Disbelief

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THE CULTURE OF DISBELIEF

The culture of disbelief is a book written to people who are very interested in religious beliefs, liberty and all the influence that religion cause into the public square. Carter argues that religion should not be present in politics, education, and so on. . Moreover, Carter is not about one’s person beliefs, he makes demands of its adherents, and wishes some kind of hope for their lives. The preface of this book shows perfectly with it’s titles what is The Culture of Disbelief going to talk about (e.g. How American Law and Politics Trivialize Religious Devotion). Therefore, it takes us to the point where readers implied a connection between religion with law and politics. The author states in page 3 that in political and legal culture faith does not really matters, therefore, I agree because there is a lack of knowledge and understanding of too many people that devote themselves to someone or something, without giving the remarkable importance religion has. Also, Carter states that people have to believe in something else, and do not take your religion so seriously.

God as a Hobby:

Our society thinks that people believe in things just because they want to believe in something to keep them busy. “ When citizens do act in their public selves as though their faith matters, they risk not only ridicule, but actual

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punishment”#. This example of Native Americans is problematic for Carter, because religion is not a fad or a hobby, it is just that people have traditions, and our government religious traditions can’t be punished for practicing it. Therefore, this analysis have became known by public institutions to be able to accept this issues as neutral.

“Not just to know, but to act, and to act at times without regard to what others consider the settled facts”#. Religion matters to people, because they believe it is real and greater than the state. It is a way of saying or accepting that people have the right to say no, I will not accede to your will. Society sometimes does not recognize that there are religious people that believe that God have communicated to us by the Bible. Carter asks for freedom to those who can not stand it.

Separation of Church and State:

Carter says that religion needs to be autonomy, that we need a freedom of religion, an independent moral voice, we need to take decisions to be able to be critical of the state, which is a vital role that religion plays. “ The idea of separating church from the state meant protecting the church from the state, and not the state from the church”#. The exercise clause is present just to protect the people from the government indifference with their religion, and the

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establishment clause to protect people from an implicit persuasion union of government and religion. That is why this statement is a little bit confused for me.

“The lemon test was started since 1971, it is so named because it was framed in the court’s 1971 in Lemon v. Kurtzman. This case is so common that legal students