My son, Bobby Jameson, has been engaged in conversations on Facebook about people who want to impose their religious beliefs on others, either by proselytizing or by passing laws to institutionalize what they believe. He gets all sorts of comments--some silly, some adversarial, and some intelligent.
Many people seem to equate the concept of not wanting to be forced to accept someone else's religion with denying the existence of God. The point is not whether God exists, but the freedom to decide for one's self. It's not even about the attributes or failings of any particular religion; the point is the freedom to choose your own religion or no religion.
People came to this continent in the first place in order to obtain freedom from religious persecution, and for the freedom of individuals to choose what they believe. In other words, freedom of religion and freedom from religion, "freedom of" religion being the right to choose, and "freedom from" religion being the right not to have any religion imposed on you. You can choose any religion or no religion; you get to decide. Otherwise, there's no freedom at all.
Even if you think you cannot respect what another person or group believes, it is still important to recognize and respect their fundamental right to believe it.
Troy,
ReplyDeleteThat is straight and to the point. I concur with your views 100%
Your Capricorn friend,
Georgie
Troy,
ReplyDeleteJust found out a few days ago that we share the same birth month.
Enough of that.
Wiser words are rarely spoken freely and with such depth. I wish everyone thought this way. A lot more people would get along.
Jesse