Quote:
Originally Posted by GGG
How would an academic influence or challange the beliefs of a religion. For example on Gay Marriage we know that the church has a negative impact on giving rights to homosexuals. How would a religioous studies professor change this belief in the church. The separation of church and state is what is critical in defending society from the harmful parts of religion. Not religious studies professors.
To the bolded part above I think that is what religious studies departments do. What they don't do is pass judgement on it.
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In the same way doctors go all over the world giving vaccines and condoms to the poorest people on earth, Religious Studies Departments - if they wanted to use the knowledge they have - could put boots on the ground and educate people.
As an example, in some African countries they'll kill you for being gay by using religious justifications. The scholars need to establish where in the bible that is coming from, then debunk it, then educate people on why using religious justifications to kill people is wrong.
Closer to home, they should have done the exact same thing in California when the Mormons launched their campaign to take away gay marriage from California. Instead, I didn't hear a single thing said from scholars of religious studies debunking the rationale of the religious person's voice, to the detriment of equal treatment of gay people.