synthaetic synapse

The folks at First Freedom First have some powerful new advertisements out, posing some interesting questions to be considered during this election cycle. I include a couple below, because I think they’re both worthy of listening to.

Here are some of the questions FFF believes we should be asking candidates when they come to our areas. These are just suggestions, of course.

Here are suggested questions that you can use at Town Hall meetings or other locations where candidates for office will be gathering. You can copy and paste them into an email message to the candidates. Or, use these as suggestions to help formulate your own questions to candidates, to find out their views on safeguarding separation of church and state and protecting religious liberty.

1. Leaders on the religious right often say that America is a “Christian Nation.” Do you agree with this statement?
2. Do you think Houses of Worship should be allowed to endorse political candidates and retain their tax exempt status?
3. Do you think public schools should sponsor school prayer or, as a parent, should this choice be left to me?
4. Would you support a law that mandates teaching creationism in my child’s public school science classes?
5. Do you think my pharmacist should be allowed to deny me doctor-prescribed medications based on his or her religious beliefs?
6. Will you respect the rights of those in our diverse communities of faith who deem same-gender marriage to be consistent with their religious creed?
7. Should “faith-based” charities that receive public funds be allowed to discriminate against employees or applicants based on religious beliefs?
8. Do you think one’s right to disbelieve in God is protected by the same laws that protect someone else’s right to believe?
9. Do you think everyone’s religious freedom needs to be protected by what Thomas Jefferson called “a wall of separation” between church and state?
10. What should guide our policies on public health and medical research: science or religion?

Questions that I might ask:

1. Status Quo is often cited by the religious right as a reason for continuing the nation’s “business as usual”. Would you support the “Status Quo” after the example of the current administration, even when “business as usual” over the past seven years has proven harmful to our economy?
2. Our nation is comprised of many peoples, religions and creeds. Do you feel that politicians should be allowed to campaign on specific religious issues and promote specific religious platforms while continuing to draw benefits from the government (security details, etc) while campaigning?
3. Do you believe that when a veteran’s service is over, the government’s responsibility to the veteran ends, or do you believe that the government shares an ongoing obligation to veterans to provide qualified health care and psychological services to all veterans with no strings attached?

So, as the videos say, “What Would You Ask”? If you have a blog, please include one or more of these videos on it and ask your readers this question. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to ask your questions in the comments. And naturally, I encourage you all to visit the First Freedom Foundation and sign their petition in support of the separation of Church and State and religion liberty.