trying to legislate individual morality upon the masses
Isn't that *exactly* what trying to legislate social programs amounts to?
no, i dont believe that's what it amounts to. i dont think military spending, or healthcare, or infrastructure and those sort of programs/spending is enforcing individual morality on the masses. those are what we call "social contracts", where its implied that we all give a certain amount in order to maintain the structure of the country.
I didn't really want to circle back on this since the conversation has moved away from this, but just to follow back on it, I should have been more verbose when I stated "social programs". I absolutely do not consider military or infrastructure spending in that. Healthcare and all other social aid that has been contentious, however, absolutely DOES meet the criteria I listed. The fact that some feel so strongly that these things are a "right" or required and others do not means that it *IS* a morality-guided choice, and enacting them *IS* an act of legislating morality upon the masses. Not slinging mud or picking at anything, I'm just illustrating that this isn't uncommon or new. It's what every heavily debated issue has ever boiled down to.
at the end of the day, nobody is forcing your girl/wife to get an abortion. that's a decision left up to the individual/family. a woman getting an abortion doesn't affect you or your individual liberties (im using *you* as a general concept). that doesn't mean you have to be morally ok with it. that doesn't mean you have to publicly support abortions.
I agree 100%, it will absolutely never affect me and it doesn't matter at all what my feelings on the topic are (which are totally ambivalent to put my stance out there), BUT this is also where the discussion circles back to "when is it another life that you're snuffing, and thus 'murder'". Depending on when that point is defined determines whether or not it is simply an individual choice, or whether it is an action that would be considered a crime. This is the muddied feedback loop that all of this constantly get mired in. If it is a "life", then aborting is "murder". If it isn't a "life", yet.. then it wouldn't be..... but, How and Where does that line get drawn?
In the end, I think we are still WAY too tightly tied to our Puritan roots. And, oddly, perhaps also too rapidly leaving behind much of the humility, decency, and decorum that prior generations venerated.
Religion does NOT have a place in government, but government absolutely MUST preserve a healthy level of morality that serves the needs of the vast majority of its citizens.
You will absolutely NEVER get all sides to fully agree with one choice on this topic, so the ONLY solution is to find the middle ground that incenses the fewest number of people.
