"Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups." - George Carlin
"I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as a cause for withdrawing from a friend." - Thomas Jefferson
"An important principle widely accepted among magickal people is that there is no 'One True Right and Only Way!'" - Oberon Zell-Ravenheart, Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
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Recently, I feel as though an unsettling number of people - many of whom are politicians - have claimed that the United States is a Christian nation. [As a disclaimer, I am not a Christian myself, but I have a number of well-loved friends who are.] From my understanding, our country was founded partially on the belief that one's religious or spiritual choices would not be encroached upon. These are, by law, personal choices and not the government's business.
So why do we regularly hear ad hominem complaints of Barack Obama being a Muslim? (He's not, but his father was.) Who cares if a political leader practices Islam? It's not illegal, nor is it inherently immoral in any fashion. Then we have the scapegoat theories about Jewish bankers (upper-class frivolity couldn't possibly contribute to our shambling economy), and our charming Newt Gingrich's complaints about this country's being "surrounded by paganism".
Religion is a personal choice, it's all been said before, and I'd be preaching to the choir (pun intended) by sharing my principles of acceptance among all faiths as well as those without any.
What I am trying to convey here is that America is NOT legally rooted in religion. The public speakers who claim otherwise are only doing a disservice to those who do not know this, especially impressionable youths.
If we were to adopt an official religion and enforce it as law, then we'd only plunge into a new version of an old era. This is why I favor secularism.
