Is Coexisting A Simple Matter?

Is coexisting a simple matter? No, I do not believe it is. In fact, I did not realize how complicated it is until the discussion on Monday. Having naturalism and supernaturalism coexist is possible; it has been for several years. Although, can naturalism and supertnaturalism coexist peacefully? Through the discussion on Monday, I began to realize how complicated it is and how many issues in today's society factor into it coexisting peacefully. These big issues mainly come from the government.

Can the government be religious neutral? As nice as that idea sounds, I do not believe it is possible anymore. If somene is passionate about their faith, it will affect their political views and decisions. Religion is not something that can be "thrown out of the picture" when discussing issues such as abortion, stem cell research, and mostly importantly to citizens of Massachusetts, gay marriage. People's religious beliefs usually drive them to agree or disagree with these issues.

Should abortion be illegal? My persnal opinion is that it should not. However, many religious people say it should be because they believe that the baby is human even before it is born. In some states abortion is illegal. Should it be illegal because of one of the Ten Commandments, Thou Shall Not Murder, or should it be legal to prevent pregnant women who need to have an abortion for their own safety? This is not a black and white issue and nor should it be. This is when women's rights and religious beliefs conflict. Which beliefs are more important to the government--women's or religious?

Personally, I do not know that much about stem cell research. The link below is a link to the wikipedia article on stem cell research.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

Should stell cell research go on even though it destroys the human embryo? Who will ultimately prevail in this battle--science or religion? Right now, religion is winning. Although, is that truely fair. Isn't our government supposed to be politically neutral?

Lastly, gay marriage is a major issue. Currently, it is legal in Massachusetts, but should it become illegal? Should the defintion of marriage change to be two people that love each other instead of a man and a woman who love each other?

Many questions come up when discussing naturalism vs. supernaturalism that are hard to answer sometimes. This is making me wonder whether it is humanly possible for naturalism and supernaturalism to coexist peacefully in the near future.