measi's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Church and State In reflection to today's news on CNN regarding the Ten Commandments statue in Alabama... The United States is a country that is quite odd in the world, as far as religion goes. The pitch and influence of religion is nearly as strong as any Islamic state, yet it lives as a western country. It's hardly surprising to hear of the news coming out of Alabama. This is America. We have this kind of thing all the time. And with President Bush in the White House, it has become more commonplace. And frankly, more terrifying for those of us looking on from religious minorities. I respect others' rights to have faith, to express their faith, and to celebrate it. Feel free to do it in public if you choose. But if you DO choose to do so, don't demand or expect others to participate with you. Don't require it. And don't pitch a fit when others complain. Because we know that if we were to do the same, you would be screaming holy hell for us to stop. And for democracy's sake, don't claim that it's right to put a religious tome in a public government courthouse. Find a public park, or better yet-- a strip of land in your town that has been neglected and needs some care and attention, and place it there, and create something new in a public area. Not in a courthouse, which is "supposedly" blind to bigotry, whether racial, religious, or sexual. By supporting the placement of a religious icon on such property, you do support prejudice, whether you like it or not. Regardless of how America was founded (it was founded as a religious nation... the debate about a *Christian* nation, I argue against, since so many of the founding fathers were Deists), it is not a Christian nation now (and even if it were, which "Christian" are we talking about, since so many of the denominations claim that other Christian denominations are wrong and "not really Christian"). It is a melting pot of hundreds of nationalities, creeds, and cultures. Good or bad, this is how things are. We are a blend. The Constitution's Bill of Rights, while acknowledging the view of the majority, protects the rights of the minority. Without those protections, democracy cannot exist. Imposing any sort of religious creed on everyone eliminates "freedom" from the American vocabulary, which has seen the word get twisted and slowly whittled down in the past two years as it is. But that blend is re-dividing into camps these days, out of self-preservation and protection from those with mutual interests. People keep "with their own" not only because they relate best with those who are of similar interest, but also out of protection. I can't deny that there are times that I've thought about how amazing it would be to live in a town that was predominantly (or completely) Pagan, to be able to express myself freely at all times, without the fear that goes along with being of the faith in this society. I'd love to see a statue in town square with the Charge of the Goddess on it, or one of the variant versions of the Wiccan Rede. But I don't have that right in the U.S. If I tried to pull a stunt like Judge Moore did in Alabama (sneaking it in during the middle of the night, I might add), the results would be far uglier than what happened in Alabama. Hell, there was an outrage when a Pagan was hired as a prison chaplain out in the Midwest-- in a job that doesn't even affect the majority of the population. A woman was getting a *job*. Could you imagine a Pagan mayor? For those who agree with the Ten Commandments as part of their faith-- that's great. Use them as your guideline for living. Embrace them, use them as your life's foundation of faith, and go forward. Some of us, however, do not use the Ten Commandments in such a manner. This doesn't mean that we don't agree with many (or most) of the principles, but we are not of your faith, and we have our own religious guidelines to follow. And keep specific religious items, such as this statue, out of a place that could strongly affect those who do not follow your personal creed. ~ Mel. 11:07 a.m. - 27 August 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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