The 5^th and last right that is on the list is that our Freedom of Religion is being threatened. I am actually surprised that this one wasn’t higher. This is also the one that I do not understand the most. This is also one of the harder ones to talk about.

To me one of the biggest problems is separating Personal freedom from Religious freedom. Does a person have the Personal freedom to be gay? If the government says yes then is it infringing on their religious beliefs of someone else? Should our government be in the religious business at all? Now I am a personal freedom type guy. I believe that I have no right to oppress another person’s belief just because I don’t agree with it. Let me correct that a little. I believe that we should not have a problem with another person’s belief as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. If my neighbor is gay and I am I believe it is a sin do I have the right to take his freedom away. By letting him live his life his way what freedom of mine is being taken away? Everyone has to meet his or her maker on their own terms. Freedom is a word for everyone not just a few same thinking people or for the same thinking masses. Now there are many other religions here in America,. What about their freedom? Does a Christian have the right to force his relgous beliefs on a Muslim. Does a Muslim have a right to force his religion on a Hindu. Does any religeon have that right? According to Seperation of Church and State, no. I found this and intersting read.

Now it will not surprise many of you that the fastest growing religion in America is
actually no religion. Now that I have seen the numbers the next question is why? One thing is that there is a crisis in leadership. People use to expect to hear the truth from the church and have felt very hurt form the cover ups in the Church. All the clergy abuse that has been going on for centuries is now being brought to light. The fact that the church has protected pedophiles from the law has hurt its image greatly. This alone may be the main reason people are leaving the church. Another reason is the message that the church is sending. I call it the anti message. They are in some cases anti gay, anti abortion, anti Muslim, anti Jewish. What they really are is anti anybody or a thing that is different than what they wish you to believe. They have become so judgmental in a religion that is not supposed to be judgmental. They have always preached that everyone is always welcome at the lords table and then you see that the only people that are welcome are the people that think just like them. In today’s day of social media it is very hard to say one thing and then do another. Words today just spread too quickly. It is too easy for people now to communicate with each other using social media. 

Now I know it sound like I am really bashing Christians and I don’t mean to do that. Some of the nicest non judgmental people I know are also very devote Christians. But also some of the most judgmental people I know are also Christians. Both of my mother in-laws have been a couple of the nicest lady’s I have ever known and also devote Christians. My wife has a cousin that wrote a book on French saints and I have never heard her say a judgmental thing ever. I have a friend that is an Episcopalian Minister and have some great conversations with me on race and life helping me to understand it from a different perceptive. He never seemed to judge me because I did not believe like he does but tries listening to my questions.

When the church enters to political arena is where I feel they cross the line. Hate to say this but Jesus was never about saving the soul of a nation. He was always about the individual. His message was more about helping our fellow man, not judging them. If he was here now he would not be walking the halls of Congress. He did not walk with Pontius Pilate or Herod. He would probably be walking about the slums of our inner cities or helping people obtain a better life at our boarder. It is our arrogance that makes us believe he would come here at all. He did not seem to me to be a person that was quick to condemn. Would he be condemning the woman that got an abortion or would he be questioning why we didn’t do more for that lady so didn’t feel she had to get an abortion?

Is our religious Freedom under assault? Maybe it should be.