All Comments (4)

Jesus said, "I do not pray for the world."

The Apostle James said, "He that is a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

Are you more correct than they?

BTW the word REVEREND appears only once in the entire Bible [Psalm 111:9] and speaks specifically of God himself. No one who has seen God or knows God would have the audacity or effrontery to call himself or herself by the name of God. It is vain, egotistical, and pretentious at the very least to do so.

Gaby,

My apologies and you are exactly right. Regardless of ones beliefs... or lack there of... the choice is a personal one and should be respected as such. As my mate says "Freedom of religion has to include Freedom FROM religion."

Lady Rowen,

Good comments.

But, please take it one step further: "...until no one has to hide their religion this country is not truly free."

How about: ....until no one has to hide their religion, or lack thereof, this country is not truly free.

Mr. Salguero you wrote: “I am strongly in favor of a government that allows for religious pluralism without officially or de facto endorsing any worldview, religious or not. I also believe people should influence policy from their perspective; this includes but is not limited to people of faith. Granted, this is no easy task.”

I agree with you on the above. However the persistence used by certain groups, in the United States, to push their ideals and or way of life down the collective throats of others is, in my option, wrong. These same groups also have the loudest voice and use it to inform any and all as to how downtrodden they are. Again they are wrong… I can think of a couple of other groups who are much more maligned.

Next: “On another note, any religious law (no matter from what faith it evolves) that violates the dignity, life, and freedom of human beings must be rejected. This is a very complicated conversation that is too long to unpack in this forum (one must define dignity, life, and freedom).”

Yet that is happening everyday in the United States. Not only have the “bedroom police” managed to get a ban on same sex marriage they have also managed to convince a large portion of the population that the naked human body is pornographic. For all of the technological advances we have made we have somehow managed to slip backward in our thinking.

Next: “Recently, I was asked about making the Constitution more aligned with the Bible. My response was, "Who's interpretation of the Bible?" Many times in my Evangelical circles,(I am unapologetically Christian and Evangelical but do not impose my faith on others and welcome for others to proclaim their faith or incredulity in healthy ways), people wrongly assert that the U.S. is a Christian nation. The U.S is not a Christian nation. It is a nation that has many Christians in it and was influenced by both Enlightenment and Protestant worldviews. If Western nations, the U.K. and U.S. included, are to affirm religious pluralism they must be careful to value religious worldviews while preserving the freedom of thought of its citizens.“

I am Pagan and like you I do not impose my beliefs on others … although I have many attempt to impose their beliefs on me. Most Pagans were raised with one form of Christianity or another and urge our children to learn about other religions. We made our choice after a lot of study and seeking. My point here is that if I am interested I will come to you, until then please show some common respect and leave me in peace. I wish more Christians felt as you do.

Next: “The challenge of every democracy in the sphere of legislation is how do we respect individual freedom, group distinctions (religious or otherwise), and avoid the tyranny of the majority.”

I wish we could find a happy medium on this. It terrifies me to think of how many Pagans in this country hide their religion out of fear. Even today people fear losing their jobs, homes, friends and family and run the risk of being ostersized by their communities. Add to that the hostile treatment that some have received at the hands of neighbors, which resulted in damage to themselves or their property. I have had people tell me that we are lucky to live in such a free country, my response is always the same… until no one has to hide their religion this country is not truly free.

Lady Rowen