well, it has been a while since I have gotten a chance to post. I work in sales for an ice cream company and what can I say? I am busy, busy, busy! I look forward to the fall when I can really spend some quality time posting. There has been something on my mind that I have wanted to share on this blog. The issue of seperation of church and state is something that a few years ago was beginning to cause me great concern, as the lines seemed to be getting blurrier and blurrier. I want to share an oped that I submitted to my local paper back in 2005. The article speaks for itself as to my opinion on this subject amoung a few other thing I will expand on a bit later.
The paper titled it;
To Maintain democracy, all voices have to be heard...
Our forefathers had the foresight to realize that in order for religion and politics to maintain thier integrity, it was imperative they remain seperate. In order to allow people of all faiths to be free and allow government to function for all, it was of the utmost importance. I am a bit baffled in recent years how the seperation has become so enmeshed, the lines becoming blurred. I don't understand why religious conservatives are under the impression that this a Christian nation. This is not a theocracy of any kind. This is a democracy where Christians and members of all faiths are free to live and worship. There is a lot of debate about "In God We Trust" on our money and "One Nation Under God" in our pledge of allegiance. May I point out that these things were added in the mid-20th century. Our forefathers did not put them there. Our forefathers did mention the name of God on government documents. I agree they were men of faith. They were men of several different faiths. In fact they were hardly fundamentalist. Benjamin Frannklin was a quaker and several were unitarians. I see the name of God, but I have never seen the name of Jesus on any document created by our forefathers. This notion that our country was based on Christian principals is unfounded. It was created by men who believed in a higher being who had given each of us free will and freedom of liberty. They were not going to allow a governmment to take that away from them ever again. I fear this country is headed down a dangerous path. If we want to maintain our democracy all voices have to be heard. I myself am a believer in Christ and I am baffled by so many Christians who feel so convicted about their positions on homosexuals and abortion rights. But they seem to have no problem with the death penalty, war, poverty-so many things Jesus denounced. Remember the prince of peace? No more eye for an eye, but forgiveness and love. Feed the poor and love they neighbor: Why have you all forsaken his message?