In light of the continuing violence in our nation, I have to say that I can never understand the attitude that there shouldn't be tougher controls. Does having a license to drive a car, get married, register to vote take away any rights or freedoms? Why would greater control of dangerous weapons infringe on freedoms? And anyway, with all our freedoms there are responsibilities to our fellow citizens, family members and friends that accrue. And the lack of stricter gun controls infringes on all of our "inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" when lives are taken away, we lose the ability to feel free to enjoy the Liberty we cherish, and worry and fear diminish happiness. It won't change until we all work together to stop it!
Praying that the Lord will continue to help us have peace and security and live up to the ideals are founders believed were so important. . . and we must return the the importance of being obedient to God and honoring Him by living up to those ideals of freedom, liberty, opportunity and justice for all.
It's interesting how times as changed and how rabid people can get about not having anything religious in public schools and public places. When I taught college courses in world religions I came to realize how differently the rest of the world looks at religion compared to the way we do. For most of the world religion is just related to ethnic culture and part and parcel of who people are according to the family into which they are born.
When the framers of our Constitution set up the idea that the state would not be allowed to dictate religious beliefs or interfere with the religious practices of any citizen, it was all set up as a protection against the oppressiveness of imperial systems extant from the 8th century on where the predominant religion of the leadership of empires persecuted ethnic groups who did not believe as they did . . . like the way Imperial Russia persecuted Jewish people with full collusion of the Russian Orthodox Church and as the leadership of the Islamic Empires persecuted Christians in the regions they dominated and the way they captured and sold native Africans who had not converted to Islam. And then of course there were the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in the 17th century in England, and the Spanish Inquisition . . . so by the time the framers of our Constitution set things up, the separation of church and state and freedom of religion guaranteed by a government were good things . . . but the clause was never meant to be used to persecute and legislate against a particular religion.
In light of the continuing violence in our nation, I have to say that I can never understand the attitude that there shouldn't be tougher controls. Does having a license to drive a car, get married, register to vote take away any rights or freedoms? Why would greater control of dangerous weapons infringe on freedoms? And anyway, with all our freedoms there are responsibilities to our fellow citizens, family members and friends that accrue. And the lack of stricter gun controls infringes on all of our "inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" when lives are taken away, we lose the ability to feel free to enjoy the Liberty we cherish, and worry and fear diminish happiness. It won't change until we all work together to stop it!
Praying that the Lord will continue to help us have peace and security and live up to the ideals are founders believed were so important. . . and we must return the the importance of being obedient to God and honoring Him by living up to those ideals of freedom, liberty, opportunity and justice for all.
It's interesting how times as changed and how rabid people can get about not having anything religious in public schools and public places. When I taught college courses in world religions I came to realize how differently the rest of the world looks at religion compared to the way we do. For most of the world religion is just related to ethnic culture and part and parcel of who people are according to the family into which they are born.
When the framers of our Constitution set up the idea that the state would not be allowed to dictate religious beliefs or interfere with the religious practices of any citizen, it was all set up as a protection against the oppressiveness of imperial systems extant from the 8th century on where the predominant religion of the leadership of empires persecuted ethnic groups who did not believe as they did . . . like the way Imperial Russia persecuted Jewish people with full collusion of the Russian Orthodox Church and as the leadership of the Islamic Empires persecuted Christians in the regions they dominated and the way they captured and sold native Africans who had not converted to Islam. And then of course there were the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in the 17th century in England, and the Spanish Inquisition . . . so by the time the framers of our Constitution set things up, the separation of church and state and freedom of religion guaranteed by a government were good things . . . but the clause was never meant to be used to persecute and legislate against a particular religion.
The
framers of our Constitution never meant the clause concerning freedom
of religion to mean that people couldn't practice their religion in
public places. And there was never any intention that anyone would be
restricted from demonstrating what they believed in public places --
like when the Ten Commandments or a Christmas Creche are displayed. No
one is forcing anyone to believe in anything even if displays concerning
a particular faith are in public places. From the time we were kids and
Madelyn Murray O'Hare and others started the assault against
Christianity because of atheistic beliefs . . . and because of all the
ways our society has gotten away from Christian principles and morals,
we just keep getting further and further away from the Lord and deeper
and deeper into sin and rebelliousness. I see it as a result of how
devastating World War Ii was, and how much more influence there has been
from Eastern religions and philosophies . . . I am all in favor of kids
learning dreidel songs . . . and principles of Kwanzaa . . . or
whatever . . . it's good to celebrate the diversity of cultures in our
nation. But I do have a problem with only allowing the secular focus of
Christmas to be celebrated.
It's
just sad. Christianity is under siege -- and again, I think the
current battles began during and after WW II. The defeat of all that
evil that occurred not very long before we were born was very important .
. . but especially most people in Europe and in the former British
Empire, including Australia rejected Christianity and of all the
English-speaking nations, the US is really the only one where the
majority of churches are still open. Nevertheless, the Lord is still
sovereign and He still has good plans for us all. There are even more
challenges rising against us in the world and in our society. I am
afraid that the 21st century is going to bring us even more challenges
than there were in the 20th century. And from my faith background, I
really believe that it is really more that spiritual principalities and
powers behind everything that is evil and denigrating to people, both as
individuals and in society.
Sorry
again . . . that is much more than was necessary because of you just
mentioning all you are doing with your kids at school . . . and of
course the most important thing is that we all respect and honor one
another and whatever people believe as long as they do not hurt people
or enforce their beliefs.
(And
of course we have gone off the deep end to our detriment because of how
the right to bear arms has been used as an excuse to have the ability
to be violent anywhere, any time. . . . another example of the way that
on a spiritual level principalities and powers affect people as
individuals and collectively in very bad ways.)
All
the violence and bigotry has just grown so much since we were kids . . .
and the drugs . . . so many kids with divorced parents . . . so much
fundamentalism and nastiness. It just makes me sad. Since I was first
called to ministry when I was six, it has been interesting how different
the focus of ministry has become compared to what I thought it was all
about when I was little . . . or even when I first answered my call to
ministry in the mid-80s. But of course the Lord knew all along and
always had good plans for me.
