I have always believed in ethical and moral compromise. I am thoroughly committed to the belief that there is a middle ground for almost every issue. This is the only way we can get things done and move forward. It is how much of American history has resolved itself. That all being said, there are some issues that do not have a middle ground, no matter how hard we fight to make it so. For example: Equality between men and women. Slavery is evil. LGBTQ people should have the same rights as everyone else. 2 + 2= 4. Those kinds of things.
To that list, I will add this: the Constitution does not allow for one religion to control the country. The 1st Amendment makes this completely clear; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. That seems pretty clear to me, and I have often thought that the founders put those five rights into one because it was obvious to them that nobody in their right mind would argue against them. And yet, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of politicians and citizens who want to turn America into a pseudo-Christian nation. The most recent Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, makes it clear that this is his agenda, and the previous Speaker was ousted, in part, because he wasn’t on board. We are being steered in this dangerous direction by a small but growing number of people who seem to have never read our founding documents, and it should scare all of us. It scares me. This is how Iran became what it is – a theocracy.
I live my faith personally and professionally, so nobody can accuse me of not taking it seriously. You might disagree with my understanding of Scripture, and that is your prerogative; the founders gave each one of us the right to practice our faith freely. From a practical point of view, for example, this means that no matter how much you disagree with a children’s book (based on a true story) about a gay penguin couple adopting a baby penguin, you don’t have the right to ban that book. You want to keep gay penguin stories out of your home? You go ahead and do that. Nobody has the right to ban it for everyone. The same goes for the Bible. I have maintained for decades that there are parts of Scripture that children should not read. You choose to read them to your kids? Your choice. Don’t force everyone else to do the same. See how that works? The Founders were pretty smart.
It is our job to make sure America remains a multi-cultural, multi-religious, free nation, and that includes religion. We need leaders who understand that simple principle. We need Americans to learn the same lessons. Nobody is the boss of anyone else’s spiritual journey. That includes you and that includes me.
Prayer – Holy God of many names and practices, guide us in this great experiment of democracy as we try to balance each other’s rights with our own. Help us to think. Amen.
Today’s art is called “Freedom of Religion” by Gretchen Dumas.