Non-Public Role of Religion

I absolutely respect your decision to observe your religion, and I thank you for your respect of my decision to observe no religion. To me, this basic understanding and right is what our country represents. We are free to subscribe to any religion or no religion, but we are all equal under the law.

What I have found to be amazing about our Constitution and the Founding Fathers is their understanding that state and church must be separated for citizens of this country to live freely and safely. No government in this country (or really, anywhere in the world), should impose a religious belief on the citizens of its country. That would not only be arrogant, but offensive to those who do not subscribe to the religion. It creates fear, and plants seeds of discontent among its citizens. Therefore, any public institution that receives government funding in any way should remain secular as to be most inclusive of all its citizens.

However, in recent years, I have found that religious beliefs and values have permeated the political landscape and are used to guide or initiate laws that affect all members of this country.

What troubles me about religion is the power that religious leaders wield. [I use the term “religious leaders” in the broadest sense – they may be leaders of a congregation or leaders of a state or leaders of a school.] Religious leaders use religion to limit the rights of women to choose. How often I have heard the argument that God is “pro-life” and “against abortion”. Religious leaders use religion to limit the rights of many individuals, much less Americans. How often I have heard that God is “anti-gay” or that homosexuality is a sin. Does God or any god really believe these things?

There are many versions of the Bible, there are many interpretations of holy books. Each religion and religious sect believe something slightly different, which is wonderful! That is the whole point – it’s that one can believe whatever one wants…without infringing on the rights of others.

So in our political world, does it matter what God/ god believes? I say with all due respect, “Absolutely not.” And I firmly believe that I have the support of our Constitution. Religious beliefs should not inform the decisions that our lawmakers make, and they certainly should not be the reason why we introduce bills or restrict the rights of our citizens.

Our public & political leaders should tend to matters that concern the operation of our country – fiscally and socially without encroaching upon personal rights and decision making.