I'm Just Sayin'

I’m calling for a national time out. I think every adult in America should stop whatever they are doing for a designated period of time and focus on one really important thing. Like a high school assembly, but without bleachers. I realize we would have to do this in shifts, so we don’t disrupt really important things, like schools, law enforcement efforts, wars and WalMart operations. And here is what we need to focus on: religion.

Yep, I know. Me, the anti-church person, talking about religion. I’m as surprised as you are. But it is important, right now, in America, because we can’t seem to separate it from our political process. It’s an election year. Our nation is in crisis – no, make that crises – and we need to get it right. So I think we need some schoolin’ on what religion is, and has been, and should be, in America.

We should start at the beginning, with the pilgrims coming to America to flee religious persecution in Europe. They sought a new home where they would be free to practice their faith. What faith was that? It doesn’t really matter. The point is, they came from lands where the government was trying to tell them what to believe, how to worship, whom to praise. And they came here to establish a new nation, where government would not do that. Lesson number one.

Next, we should visit the Constitution for a brief review, covering some important points, including:
• Religious freedom is actually part of the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights. It was not included in the original Constitution.
• The “religion clause” of the First Amendment states simply, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
• The Phrase “separation of church and state” is not actually included in the First Amendment, but is attributed to Thomas Jefferson (not an author of the Bill of Rights) in 1802. Nevertheless, it widely accepted as an interpretation of the intent of those who wrote the Bill of Rights.
Lesson number two.

We could conclude with a debate about individual practice of religion versus government-endorsed expression of religion. Maybe an atheist will explain how it feels to stand in a classroom and pledge allegiance to the flag of “one nation under God” or to carry around money that bears “In God We Trust.” Maybe a Jew or Muslim will describe serving on a jury in a courtroom where the Christian Ten Commandments are posted. Maybe a Baptist can justify using a military funeral to protest homosexuality, or a Protestant can help us all understand where the “Christian flag” came from, and why it’s appropriate to fly it over a government memorial to veterans of all faiths. And maybe someone can clarify how it restricts my individual religious freedom if you remove the flag, take down the plaque bearing the Ten Commandments, or delete any reference to God on my money or in my pledge of allegiance. Lesson number three.

Supposedly, those who wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights enjoyed a rigorous debate about religion and its role in government. Hopefully the tone of their debate was more moderate, more polite, and more respectful than our current debate appears to be. Maybe they understood that patriotism is not the same as religion, and vice versa. I’m just sayin ...