As someone who believes in God and who tries to follow the teachings of Jesus, it pains me to say this but, I believe that the only way to have a truly free nation is to have one that is separated from any religion because religious beliefs will always be used to suppress and control the people.
Throughout history, religion has been a means by which men achieved the power to manipulate the minds and hearts of the population to accomplish their goals of domination and destruction. Men have used religion to justify human sacrifice, racial inequality, ethnic cleansing, slavery, murder, male dominance, misogyny, child abuse, cruelty, torture, theft, and the marginalization and incarceration of those who are different in any discernible way or dare to speak out against these abuses.
I am not saying that we must live in an atheistic world. I am, however, stating that a just government must set aside all religious beliefs in order to dispense true liberty and equality to all its citizens. Equality and equity only exist when a person’s actions are judged solely on their impact on themselves and others, without regard to religious beliefs and morals.
It is not only possible to have a judicial system that is based upon personal and social liberty and justice for ALL, it is essential to a governing body’s success and long term survival.
We are NOT a godly nation and never were. Some of the framers of our constitution were religious, God-fearing men but the government they envisioned was one of, by, and for the people. Not of, by, and for God. They had seen, firsthand the abuse and destruction that is wrought upon people when an authoritarian government uses religion to justify tyranny. They sought to restore human dignity by shifting power to the citizens through a government controlled by the people themselves.
Once again, we find ourselves at a crossroads, one in which our leaders are tilting strongly from democracy toward authoritarianism. White religious nationalism is taking us down the same road as the last time it surfaced, almost 100 years ago. If we do not stand against it now, soon someone else’s religious beliefs will determine our collective fate, one minority at a time.
…and if you don’t act quickly, I may not survive to fight back when they come for you.
~ elr
Image: ID 201060 © Lori Howard | Dreamstime.com