I don't talk about my religion much. I don't find the need. I am a Christian who was raised in the Southern Baptist tradition but with parents who were more progressive and allowed us as young adults to go the way we wanted. We all went to Sunday school and church as youngsters, but as we became young adults, our parents allowed us to go or not go, to both. We were not forced by this time to attend any religious service.
When I was a young teen, probably 8th grade, I attended a church in Augusta, Georgia and many of my friends went there as well. There were a couple of guys in the neighborhood who would hang out around the basketball court when we were outside and one of them really started liking the choir director's daughter. He began coming to church, just to spend time with her and in time, brought a friend along.
These guys were typical "bad" boys who began attending services almost every time the church was open. In the 1970s, long hair in a strong military presence did not sit well with some of the deacons of the church and on one particular Wednesday night, one of the young men came late and sat in the back. He was carrying a rose. A deacon asked him to leave making the statement that "Hippies weren't welcome in his church." When his friend found out, he quit attending also. I heard later that one of them was in prison for murder and one had committed suicide. I pretty much stopped attending organized religion after that. The Jesus that I had grown up with would have never treated those young men that way.
I also recall see an episode of The Walton's where a new German family had moved on the mountain and a local preacher organized a book burning again the immigrants because he said they were Nazis. John Boy stopped the book burning when he pulled a German Bible out of the fire.
This helped open my eyes as a young adult on when is religion or the free practice of such, really free? So I worship in my way to my God and try not to get involved with any of the other Bible thumping, holier than thou, my way is the only way, type of religion.
I spoke against it when all the naysayers were saying if we allowed students to learn about Islam that we would all be practicing Sharia law. I spoke against it every time I see my Jewish friends dealing with the antisemitism which is still very prevalent in our society and I sure do it when some nutjob preacher begins burning books in Tennessee. Educate yourself on religion. Don't be ignorant. Make up your own mind.
Can someone please explain to these folks that religious freedom does not mean you can trample on everyone else's freedom of religion. It means you can practice yours.
Our founding fathers did not want us to be ruled by religion because they had seen what it could and did lead to throughout much of European history. Let's try and remember that before we continue to bomb abortion centers, burn books and hide religious education from our children all in the name of Jesus. It just doesn't jibe well with the Bible. .
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