I was watching the Penn State/UCLA football game a couple weeks ago, and I noticed that Penn State’s QB had a bible verse printed under his eyes. It was from Jeremiah, but he didn’t hold still long enough for me to see chapter and verse. A defensive player for UCLA had crosses on his cheeks as well. I watch a lot of NCAA wrestling, and a number of highly ranked college wrestlers in past years have worn “Jesus” t-shirts and talked a lot about Him. To be honest, I find some of that annoying and some of that very sweet, but all of it is just fine. Wearing religious symbols – thanking God for being there for one’s achievements – reading your religion’s scriptures or devotionals in public – all absolutely great. It warms my soul to know that some people do those things – good for you!
Where my soul goes cold, however, is when people force their religious values and beliefs on others. Like public schools being forced by their state governments to post the 10 Commandments on every classroom wall. Or sectarian prayers being offered at city hall meetings. Or those same prayers being used at interfaith gatherings, which happened at one I preached at in September. Freedom of religion is for everyone. When we take our particular flavor of faith and force it on others, we take their freedom away. This is a simple concept, and it amazes me that everyone doesn’t understand it. To drive it home to those who don’t, especially christians of a certain leaning, I remind them that the Golden Rule exists in every religion in some form, and it reminds us that we must always – always – do for or to others as we would like done to or for us. Double-standards are never appropriate, especially in religion.
My freedom ends where your freedom begins. I can sit on a subway and read my Bible, but I should not read it out loud for others to hear. I can sing hymns in church or at home or in the shower, but doing it where others can hear – and against their will – is wrong. Just because it might be legal doesn’t make it moral. And prayer is not banned from school; it just can’t be sponsored by the public school itself. Would prayer and Bible study make public schools better? I don’t know – were they better when the races were separated? Did prayer help people without rights? Were they better when women weren’t allowed to practice law or many other professions? I don’t think so. And that isn’t the question anyway – either we all have freedom or none of us do. I prefer the first choice, because the second leads to tyranny.
Prayer – Holy God, help us to grow up enough to honor You by honoring each other’s rights. Amen.
Today’s art is from a K-12 art contest held in Provo, Utah.