Religious Freedom Myths

In America freedom of religion is misunderstood by many people. Religion is a very personal belief – more, a belief system. In America you are free to study, learn, research and adopt any religious belief you wish. No one tells you what to believe. Only you can do that. It is a choice.

Your religion, however, belongs with and in you to help you understand life and make the best of it. Religion is not your license to tell someone else how to live their life or what to believe. If your religion impels you to help someone, be certain that someone wants your help! Otherwise you are imposing on them.

Same is true in community life. Your religious belief and church life is yours to nurture and live by. It is not yours to impose on others. A local ordinance or law that applies to everyone else, is not an infringement on you and your religion. So if everyone has to abide by property standards, or behaviors that ensure peace, assembly and lawfulness, then you are supposed to abide by the same rules and regulations. It is not made specifically for you in order to control your religious practices.

In our nation, therefore, laws regarding religion are avoided; nothing the state does legislatively should harm or promote a specific religion, or religion in general. The governance of the people is not connected with the religion of the people. Period.

Today there are groups claiming that a law that allows abortion is specifically against religion – individual ones and religion in general. Nonsense. The laws they claim are so are not directed at religion or spiritual belief systems.  This means religious people may follow their own dictates as to not having an abortion for themselves, their married couples or family members. They can only be responsible for their own actions and lives. Don't believe abortion is moral? Then don't have one.

Abortion is a medical procedure and is a helpful remedy for many situations, mostly medical. As abhorrent as you or I feel about abortion itself, that has nothing to do with the law. Whether you or I follow conscience rather than law is a choice we make. The person needing or wanting an abortion should be able to have it done with no drama from those opposed.

Same with equal rights. You may be among those who don’t ‘get’ homosexuality. Whether you do or not is not the point. The point is people who are gay should have the right to get married, have kids and live their lives without others limiting their lives based on a narrow set of beliefs.

Americans are free because of the US Constitution, to pursue life, liberty and happiness based on their own beliefs; not your beliefs, but their own. That’s what freedom is about, and the equal rights to live within that freedom.

A gay couple’s marriage has no affect on a straight couple’s marriage. Both couples have chosen a life of commitment to another person. For better or worse, in health or illness… You know how it goes. Why do we have to talk about the obvious?

I get that some people are uncomfortable about many things gay. I can’t do anything about that. They can’t do anything about the gays. Just don’t be gay if you are not one. Live and let live. Gay couples allow non-gay couples to such freedom.

Saying that marriage is a contract between a man and a woman is a false argument. The primary point of argument over marriage is religion. And we have determined that the US Constitution does not take sides on that issue. It is a religious issue; if you belief Gay is wrong, then ban gay marriage in your church and religion. Don’t legislate your religion onto those who are not a part of your belief system.

There are many other points that can be made here. But I don’t want to beat a horse that is likely quite dead already. Just leave it at this: we do not impose our beliefs or values on others in America. We persuade and debate them, but we don’t impose them under the force of law.

Enough said?

July 11, 2017