Democracy Yes, Theocracy No

I don't want to live under a theocracy, no matter what religion it is based on. People came to this country in the beginning to escape religious persecution and to have the freedom to follow their own religious beliefs.

Governments are made up of ordinary men and women, not gods, and it is not the  province of government to be a religion, or to make up religious rules, regulations, or laws.

In a democracy, all are equal under the law. Under a theocracy, equality would be impossible.

Because that is true, religion should be separate from politics. Of course, people's religious faith will always influence their political beliefs and their ideas of personal integrity, but that does not mean they have a right to impose their beliefs on others, or to pass laws making others subject to any sort of religion-based restrictions.

Under a democracy, people of every religious persuasion are equal under the law. No religion is considered to be better than any other.

However, at the moment, those on the Christian right, be they Catholic or Protestant, are so fanatic about  the truth of their own beliefs, they have lost sight of the fact that others have a right to believe differently.

Why should the religious right be able to dictate whether or not a woman can have access to birth control? Many married women do not want to refuse their husbands, and yet don't want to have a baby every year. Why should a woman ever be put in this position? And why should unplanned-for babies be born into families that can't afford them? Or to families not equipped to give them proper love and care?

It is irresponsible for anyone to insist that every time a sex act is performed, a baby must be born. No man would hold that opinion if he were the one who got pregnant.

Let's all back off a bit from the position that our opinion is absolutely right and our religion infallible. Let reason prevail. Let kindness modify our actions.