Public philosophy in defense of democracy
Bill Vanderburgh Bill Vanderburgh

Public philosophy in defense of democracy

Freedom of religion is under threat—in the United States and around the world—from religious nationalists, religious extremists, theocrats, fascists, and others, including the merely greedy who pursue their own selfish interests by manipulating the masses through religion.

This blog is an effort to combat religious nationalism and religious extremism, to promote freedom of conscience by giving it a robust defense for our times, and to inspire people who want to think and talk about the various things it means to be human. This is philosophy for the public at the intersection of politics and religion.

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Abortion and Religious Freedom
Bill Vanderburgh Bill Vanderburgh

Abortion and Religious Freedom

What really makes abortion restrictions immoral is that they violate vital freedoms including freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.

The existence of degrees of im/permissibility of killing makes it clear that in truth we do not accept rules like, “Thou shalt not kill,” in their literal sense. Such overly simplistic formulations leave out important factors and pretend there is an absolute answer where absolutes are usually impossible. In other words, details and circumstances matter in moral judgements.

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