All of these Bible-thumping right-wingnuts are starting to scare the shit out of me in some respects, and make me convicted that Freedom of Religion is just fine, as long as we also have Freedom FROM Religion.
There have been many stories in Daily KOS about the "revival" of Religious Freedom, and we have seen, thank gawd, that most people don't think it's ok to stone homosexuals. But it hasn't seemed to deter the ground-swell of legislative attempts to pass laws that permit discrimination.
I started life as an RC priest, but left after about 3 years because I couldn't work for an organization that considered me to be "essentially disordered". As a person who did formal Scripture studies for 9 years, I don't recall anything in the Scriptures that made it clear that I was doomed.
That's what bothers me most - that these rabid folks are all hooped up on some secret right-wing drug - but they are certainly NOT Scripture Scholars. The religious fervor that propels righteous judgements from the likes of Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul may indeed be deeply felt, emotionally, but have no scholarship to understand the context of the words historically and culturally. But, then, I should know that Zealots are not interested in facts but in fervor.
There have been both legal judgements and congressional legislation that give evidence of a creeping Theocracy in our nation. Recently, the House passed a bill that would allow employers to fire their employees who use birth control. What are they going to do? Give people blood tests??? We probably owe this piece of brilliance to the Supreme Courts decision in Hobby Lobby. Why should the religious belief of one man mean that he has the right to impose his beliefs on his employees, or on anyone?
Then there was the decision for prayer in Greece, NY, and the incredible decision to take away the 35-foot protection zone outside of abortion clinics.
I see lots of writing on the wall here. But I don't want to live someplace where the particular beliefs of certain religious people become the source of legislation which limits the decisions and realities of all people. In other words, I don't want to live in a Theocracy! And I find it odd that this upsurge in religious zealotry takes place when we are fighting ISIS - another Theocracy.
There have been several great articles on Daily KOS quoting our Founding Fathers who were quite clear that we were not to be a "Christian Nation". In fact, we certainly didn't want the Church of England creating our laws. Another article discussed the alliance between corporations and ministers that started in the 1930s to promote the belief that we are a Christian Nation.
I think there is a welcome chasm between Religious Freedom and Civil Rights. I am entirely supportive of everyone's individual freedom to believe what they want to believe and to practice what they believe in any manner they wish.
I am adamantly opposed to the idea that the religious beliefs of another person imply their right to pass a law that limits my freedom to believe what I want to believe and to live in a way that is informed by science. More simply put, don't legislate from the Bible please.
I wrote a paper in College about "Civil Religion". I would love to do some research on what I am saying here, but most of my extra time is taken up by my part time job because I can't make it on Social Security.
Which reminds me of a suggestion I want to make to these Biblical Fundamentalist politicians. Do a little more research on Jewish Dietary laws and related "abominations" before you make your final vote. And most importantly, as you give everything away to the banks, corporations, and billionaires, remember one of the clearest things that Jesus ever said: "You cannot serve both God and money!"