Thursday, June 2, 2011

America,Christian Nation. Or is it?

LGBT Pride month. Gave me pause to think. Christians don't like me. They seem to think that because I live in a Christian nation..OH WAIT! Do I? Is this a Christian nation or a nation built on Religious Freedoms? America's founders believed religious freedom to be the "First Liberty". The 1st. amendment to the Constitution and the 1st. Bill of Rights both state that: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof."

James Madison wrote in his "Memorial and Remonstance": "The religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man; and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these might dictate. This right is in it's nature an unalienable right."

The Williamsburg Charter states: "The First Amendment religious provision has a logical and historical priority to the Bill of Rights. Logical because the security of all rights rest upon the recognition that they are neither given by the state, nor can they be taken away by the state. Such rights are inherent to the inviolability of the Human Person. History demonstrates that unless these rights are protected, our Society's slow, painfull process towards freedom would not have been possible."

Let's do a small minute history lesson. Puritans and Quakers were the first to form the original 13 colonies. They actually were looking for a place to practice their own beliefs. Fleeing state run religions in their homelands. Suddenly there was persecution here in the colonies. Who knew that the same Puritans that fled Mother England would be the cause.
They wanted people to worship their way. Those not conforming were fined, banished, whipped, or imprisoned.{Hmm..sounds familiar}. Eventually, though, this came to an end. More and more people coming to America had their own beliefs. Baptist, Roman Catholics, Lutherens, Prebyterians, Judaism, Buddahism, etc. Yes, even the slaves of Africa brought their own beliefs.

People from all over the world wanted the freedom that was found in America. As a result, religious persection was ending and religious freedoms was beginning. I am proud to live in a country where one is allowed to practice their beliefs. Be it Christian, Mormonism, Shintoism, and yes, even Islam. We were built on the belief that we are the melting pot of the world. Not the clay mold of Puritanism. Today we would call that Fundamentalism.

We may have been founded by Christians, but it was these same Christian that gave the ForeFathers pause to think. To think on freedoms. As they were a mixed bag of beliefs themselves, they wanted above all else to let every man, woman, child to have the same mixed bag of beliefs. Whatever they believed.

"All men are created equal. And they are endowed by their Creator with certain....." One singular word. One word shows that we are not a forced Christian America. Their. Their Creator. Not the Creator. Whatever Creator they believe in. Not just the Christian God.

As I stated in he beginning. Christians don't like me. I'm Gay. But that's another blog. For now? God bless you..Shalom...Inshallah...May the force be with you...Live long and prosper.

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