Church And State

Note: Before reading My Thoughts, please read My Disclaimer!

I really have no issues with the removal of the ten commandments from public buildings. While religion plays and important role in our culture, I do not believe it is essential to have the sacred writings of the Judeo-Christian religions on permanent display in government buildings. While the founders of the U.S. government had strong religious beliefs and used religious principles as part of the formula, the U.S. government is not a theocracy -- it's a representative democracy founded upon the principle of freedom of religion.

There is no need for the government to surround itself with a particular religion's sacred writings. Would I be shocked and even offended if there were excerpts from the Book of Mormon (or any other religion's texts) in our government buildings? Absolutely. And, that's a strong indication that we really shouldn't have religious materials in such places.

You can practice your religion -- and even live your beliefs in your every action -- without having to have your religion's sacred writings in/on government buildings. It's simply not necessary, and it is an affront to others' religious beliefs.

It's the same thing with prayer in public schools. You don't need someone's permission or a designated time for "everyone" to pray. If you want to pray, then pray. If you don't want to, then don't. It's a complete non-issue. Plain and simple: Those who would advocate mandatory prayer-time in public schools are trying to push religion on people. Evangelism is one thing, but that's just wrong.

Similarly, I don't think the government should "celebrate" religious holidays by shutting down. The government should be operating on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Give public employees extra vacation days to compensate for the reduction in holidays and let each person celebrate the holidays (religious or not) that they choose. That is true freedom of religion. Can you imagine the outcry if the federal government declared the day after Ramadan ends as a new federal holiday? That outrage would be justified. There is no state-sponsored religion in the U.S. Christian religious holidays should not be given special treatment just because a lot of Christians live here.