In America, all citizens have certain inalienable rights that cannot be infringed upon no matter the circumstances. Of those, one of the most unique is the protection of religious freedom, so that any citizen can worship any god the way they choose. On the surface this concept seems simple, but in actuality religious freedom is riddled with complexities that make it ripe for misinterpretation.
Historically, religious freedom means that followers of a particular religion can partake in worship exercises free from intimidation, harassment, and persecution. This is important because history has not been kind to religious followers. But while religious freedom guarantees you the right to live your life, pray, worship and say how great your god is, it does not give you the right to force your god into government, schools or onto me.
I have the right to religious freedom too, and if my religion differs from yours I don’t want to be forced to deal with your practices. Simply put, your right to religious freedom ends when it enters my private space.
That battle for imposition on another’s personal space is where the confusion throughout America exists now. Many say they are being discriminated against because they are not allowed to say prayer in school, they cannot see the Ten Commandments in courthouses and they cannot use government funds for church purposes.
But these people all have a serious misunderstanding of what religious freedom really is. It is not carte blanche to force your beliefs on everyone. You have the right to your beliefs, but you don’t have the right to impose them on me without giving me equal time to practice my beliefs.
If Jerry Falwell were going to convene a service at the Landmark Theater and protestors outside threatened and intimidated those going to it, then that would be a violation of religious freedom, a probable lawsuit and it would appear on every news channel. Yet I think back to what happened here a few years ago when Marilyn Manson visited in concert with his Bible-tearing show.
Threats and intimidation tactics were used – not by the Manson followers, but by the Christians who sought to do everything they could to prevent people from going to see him.
That is where the hypocritical crux of this debate lies: Christians have often been the target of religious persecution themselves, yet they foster some of the most judgmental and non-tolerant views towards women, homosexuals and anyone who doesn’t agree with them.
One of the many checks and balances our forefathers put into the documents that founded this country was the idea that the majority rules, with minority rights. Who says the Christian Ten Commandments are the ones that should hang in the courthouse? What if my religion has its own ten commandments?
The courts have thus far done an excellent job at striking down religiously themed laws. Here in Virginia – where our do-good conservative government thinks it knows best for everyone by considering and passing absurd religiously inspired laws – it is a constant battle to inform the general public and then destroy the bills in courts.
In the end, the General Assembly is catering to Christians instead of trying to make the lives of everyday people better. That should be the real sin.