As a general rule, there are two subjects that I do not discuss under any circumstance. Religion and politics. I have found, over the years, that broaching either of these subjects, even among the closest of friends, can often create conflict although I've never been able to understand why. If people are so sensitive about these subjects, then why would anyone want to drag them into the spotlight of debate? However, there is one instance when I have absolutely no reservations whatsoever bringing them into a conversation. When any organization or group thinks it's a good idea to combine them.
Although more and more information is surfacing that sheds a not so favorable light on some of the founders of this country, they had a vision of a government that had never been tried before. At the pediment of that experiment was the necessary ideal of the separation of church and state. They knew then that any governing body rooted in religion would surely fail and rightly so. There are just too many was to undermine it's foundation by open arguments of interpretation. Fundamentally, no one really knows how god would want a country governed.
With that being stated, why do we have so many politicians who believe we should be bringing more religion into our government? They run their elections on the god platform. The put plaques of the ten commandments in front of courthouses and pay for them with taxpayer money. They want our children to pray in school and say grace. And lets not forget the ever constant argument over a woman's right to choose. All standing proudly on the soapbox of righteousness. "In God We Trust"' "One Nation Under God", "So Help You God". For some reason we can't seem to escape it. We even have a supreme court justice that actually wonders why the devil doesn't possess people or animals as much as he used to. And yet, we continually keep putting these religious zealots back in office term after term.
One of our greatest freedoms is that we can believe whatever we want to believe in and our government can't persecute us for it. This ideal also includes not having a government that tells us what we should believe in as well, although we have an abundance of elected officials that do. I would also like to submit that it is not just our government engaged in this practice. Quite a few of our citizens seem to be wielding that god fearing pitchfork as well. More than any other subject that I have been harped upon in my existence has been religion. Almost every person with a religious inkling that discovers I am an atheist makes it their mission in life to prove god's existence to me, which is exactly why I'm an atheist because there is no proof, which is why they tell me to have faith, which leads me to saying........ and the vicious cycle begins. Why do the majority of the religious people I meet feel the need to save me? I'm fine, thank you very much. No saving required. There is nothing to save. Now far be it from me to point out that you don't see me hanging around church parking lots on Sundays waiting for services to end and telling the departing parishioners that they're wasting their time. Although those same Christian souls have no problem telling me that I'm heading for Hell in a hand basket. Confession can be such a liberating experience. It seems that although I don't preach what I practice, I'm constantly bombarded by people that don't practice what they preach. Compassion and acceptance. Or are those ideals not at the foundation of most religions anymore? Strictly an Observation. If you'll excuse me, I have some pamphlets to print.
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