I've struggled mightily to try to find something to write about on religious freedom day, especially in light of so many excellent diaries in the last few days.
I find it odd that we need a day to celebrate something that our constitution supposedly grants us every day of the year. Religious freedom should be as ubiquitous as socks, something so obvious and so common that you don't even see it. As always reality differs in practice from theory.
Prince George: You know, Blackadder, for me socks are like sex. Tons of it about and I never seem to get any.
I am an atheist and thus, depending on which poll you believe, public opinion of me lies somewhere between that of Ebola and the Anti-christ, it would be a veritable leap in credibility if I were thought of as well as say....Muslims are right now.
For me, my biggest issue is with capital "R" Religion and not the faith that individuals privately hold, what anyone does in private, whomever they bend knee to is really of no concern to me. Why should it be? Why should it matter to me? What business is it of mine?
Herein lies the problem, and its capital "R" Religion, for every person who keeps their religion to themselves, it feels like there are three who are really interested in making sure that I cleave to their belief. In the States of course I am referring to Christianity.
I've lurked, diaried and commented here at Dkos now for I don't know how long, a couple of years at least, and there is no doubt in my mind that the vast majority here are thoughtful, compassionate, reasonable persons with active minds and of differing opinions. To be sure there is also some group think here but the site is supposed to be a Liberal Democratic site, group thought to some degree is to be expected.
There are of course divisions, is Obama a DINO?, is Boehner really orange? is Hillary good for us? but there is one type of division that I wish to write about. That is the division between the believer and the non-believer.
This division is a two way street, some believers accuse the non believers of being arrogant, and surely some are, at the same time some non-believers accuse the believers of being irrational, and to be sure in some respects, some probably are.
In responses to responses or directly in blogs here at Dkos....
I've been told that I know there is no god.
I've been told that its not possible to "not believe" in anything.
I've been told that if only I looked into a believers heart I wouldn't be committing this lack of god fallacy
I've been told if only I knew a little bit about scripture my hate would soften
I've been told someone else's personal religious experience applies to me
People are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
I went to church some when I was young but I had the great fortune that I wasn't raised in a highly religious household, so my atheism came easy without some of the trouble you will hear in stories from other Atheists. This is probably also why I am not vehement about it, if your religion doesn't impose itself upon me I am not likely to push back.
It doesn't mean I think its a good thing, but as I've said before:
Provided that belief doesn’t get forced down my, or anyone else’s throat who doesn’t want it there, provided it’s not used as the basis of legislation that applies to believers and non-believers alike, provided its not used as an excuse to teach their dogma in public schools and provided it isn’t used as an excuse to deprive anyone of their rights. Within those limits, I couldn’t possibly care less what a person does on their particular holy day or who they pray to
.
That to me is the essence of religious freedom, It is respectful of people, not beliefs, that is what should matter. People matter, religion should not. Too many of our elected representatives seem to act as if religion is far more important than people, they use it as justification for all manner of foolish, dangerous and just plain stupid legislative acts.
If religious freedom is to mean anything, it has to apply to everyone, all religions and no religion, it has to be unbiased. It has to mean the end of this foolish notion that America is a christian nation, that the 1st amendment only applies to christians. It has to mean the end of religion as a tool to oppress "the other".
I'm reminded of Matthew 6:5-7 which the christianists seem to fail at every single day
Matthew 6:5-7
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.
I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.
George Carlin
‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion’. Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.
Salman Rushdie
If we could achieve Religious freedom, it would be great, the founders of this nation tried their best to give it to us, I look forward to the day it actually arrives.
