Tuesday, February 21, 2017

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF RELIGION






I sent this letter-to-the-editor of our local online newspaper.   I don’t know why I bothered other than I was curious to see what responses I would receive.  

WE ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION

It bothers me when I read comments from people declaring that the United States is a Christian Nation.

I know it is hard for some people to accept; but we are not a Christian Nation.   We are not a Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or atheist Nation.   Our Constitution gives us the right to practice any religion – whatever it might be.   It does not give any group of people the right to claim the nation for themselves and impose their religious views. 

The First Amendment to the Constitution plainly states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

Thomas Jefferson called it the separation of church and state.

Maine is a liberal state so I was surprised when the next day I had seventeen comments.   Only two agreed with me and fifteen ranged from: I feel sorry for you, but you are wrong: to - you are a godless atheist and don’t know what you are talking about – including Bible quotes; also a couple of Muslim rants.

I don’t know if this is an accurate cross section of our area or did I just stir the pot of some local religious fundamentalist congregation?

It reminds me of a paragraph that Isaac Asimov wrote, “Fundamentalist are convinced beyond argument of both their rightness and their righteousness.”

the Ol’Buzzard







3 comments:

  1. By and large, it's the loonie toons who leave comments, I believe.

    Hey . . . wait a minute . . . .

    ReplyDelete
  2. The ones who feel most threatened make the most noise. Christianity: A woman made up a far-fetched story to cover up an affair and it snowballed out of control.

    ReplyDelete

COMMENT: Ben Franklin said, "I imagine a man must have a good deal of vanity who believes, and a good deal of boldness who affirms, that all doctrines he holds are true, and all he rejects are false."