Freethinkers For Liberty

Below are some responses to current issues from the news, from the FFL viewpoint.

"The US was Founded as a Christian Nation"

It is relatively certain, documented by multiple sources that this is an untrue statement. Most of our founders  were either deists, agnostics, or atheists. The word "god" does not appear anywhere in the US Constitution, which is where the US gets its federal laws and authority. It was made clear in numerous writings by the founders that they wished a secular nation, for example consider Thomas Jefferson's description of a "wall of separation between church and state" which has been upheld numerous times by the US Supreme Court.  We deplore the attempts of certain people to attempt to rewrite US history. There are many mysteries in history -- this is not one of them. 

California Proposition 8 and Gay Marriage

We are torn on this issue, because there are two aspects of marriage -- one aspect is contractual, representing sharing of monies, property, and other goods in the eyes of the state. It is inappropriate for the state to place any restrictions on this aspect absent justification in the form of harm to others, any more than the state would put limits on any other contract.

The other aspect of marriage is a pledge or promise between two individuals, very often made "before God" or otherwise blessed by a religious institution. Per the First Amendment, we do not recognize the ability of the state to restrict religious institutions in their tradition or ceremonies, which would imply that different religions are free to recognize unions that meet whatever criteria is important to them, and not recognize unions that don't meet that criteria.  The method of reforming or"correcting" treatment by religions that's deemed unfair is by people leaving that religion, and supporting others that are more in-keeping with their own beliefs, or simply having nothing to do with any religion. 

This is a classic case where mixing church and state causes a conflict that isn't easily resolved. If citizens are satisfied with marriage being a religious ceremony and institution, there is no need for the state to be involved in it in any way. Our preferred solution is for the state to get out of the business of marriage altogether, and make all aspects of laws, benefits, taxation, and all other matters 'blind' as to what a person's marital status is -- whether a person is single, or married, and who they're married to, should be no one's business, should not be asked for on any government form, and should have no bearing on how they're treated by laws and government. 

A marriage contract should be considered just like any other private agreement between individuals -- they can tell anyone they want about it, but the state need not maintain any kind of registry of who is "married" i.e. has signed a marriage contract, and who isn't.

There are clearly many impacts of this type of thinking that affect broad segments of society, which may be future topics here. 

Reincarnation, Out of Body Experiences, and Life after Death

All such ideas are very easily addressed: please provide evidence, and we'll consider it. Until then, pardon us if we're skeptical.

Global Climate Change

We find many irregularities with the way the data has been handled by those responsible; we believe that the hypotheses that have been made regarding causes of climate change have yet to be adequately tested and therefore proven; we believe the future predictions that have been made have far exceeded what the data and various hypotheses support; and just in general we deplore how a scientific investigation has become a political football, with clear cut partisan forces at work, as inevitably happens with political issues. 

More is being learned about the Earth all the time, and we are certain that Science will prevail -- we just don't know which side the science will ultimately be found to support. We are 'agnostic' on this topic in the true sense of the word as originally coined by Thomas Huxley: we don't know where the truth lies, and neither do you. 

The great physicist Richard Feynman once remarked, "anyone who says they understand quantum physics -- doesn't understand quantim physics."  With apologies to Dr. Feynman, we suggest that same answer here.

And finally on this topic, we quote the wonderful Penn Jillette from Penn & Teller, in comments made at "The Amaz!ng Meeting 7" in Las Vegas:“

If there is global warming, which there probably is, that doesn’t necessarily mean we caused it.

And if we caused it, which we probably did, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we can stop it.

If people can stop it, which they probably can, that doesn’t mean that the way to stop it is by stopping carbon emissions – which it probably is.

And if it is happening, and we did start it, and we can stop it, and the way to do that is with carbon emissions, does not necessarily mean that the answer is Socialism -- but it may very well be.

This page is under construction, please bear with us as it is populated more fully. If you feel your beliefs are in alignment with the core purpose of this group but you take exception to a response provided here, please send the author an email at info@FreethinkersForLiberty.org