LETTER
LETTER
LETTER
Editor,
The National Day of Prayer is May 3rd. It was formalized
in 1952 by President Harry S. Truman. The purpose of the day is to encourage
Americans “to turn to God in prayer and
meditation”—neither of which accomplish anything outside the mind of the practitioner.
This annual day of collective magical thinking usually brings out the “One nation
under God” crowd and the “Christian Nation” folks.
We are not a Christian
nation. We are a nation of laws. One of those laws—The First Amendment to the United
States Constitution—ensures that all of us can practice whatever kind of
hocus-pocus we like. A Christian Nation (i.e. a nation whose foreign policy
reflects the morality espoused by Jesus Christ) would actually be a terrible
idea for many reasons. Consider the words
of Jesus (Matthew 5:43-45):
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”
Now if we REALLY
WERE a Christian nation, Osama Bin Laden would be alive today, wouldn’t he?
Alan R. Hudson
2 comments:
The First Amendment guarantees us freedom of religion, not freedom FROM religion. If you are an atheist, you have no religion, and the only protection the First Amendment gives you is the right not to be forced to believe (as if that were even possible). I suppose you can also claim the right to not have to worship against your beliefs.
But you do not have the right to interfere with other people believing or worshipping as they choose. Unfortunately, many atheists have made exactly that their life's mission.
To them I would say, in a loving manner, "Go to hell!"
Actually the First Amendment also gives us the right to expose religious silliness. Would Jesus tell us to go to Hell?
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