Somethings I Won't Understand..Maybe Ever

http://2politicaljunkies.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-religious-right-begins-blaming.html


Religious conservatives (RCs for short) are a group of people that I might not ever understand.  They are good people, have good intentions, and have stuck to their guns which are worthy of my admiration.  They are however often hypocritical and contradict themselves frequently.  What I fail to wrap my mind around is how many try to demand ideals on both side of a argument.  Understandably these issues are complex, deeming complex opinions. Most often though, the overtly conservative Christian (OCCs for short) tends to take the polar opposites and force them together.  (I will use the terms Religious conservative and overtly conservative Christians interchangeably)

Take prayer in public places, since that is what the sited article is about.  Most RCs say our government needs to do more to promote prayer, (particular prayer to a Christian God), and the lack of prayer causes events like the shooting in Colorado.  That is fine in my book, I understand why you think that (and to some degree agree). If you think the government should promote prayer in public places, then we (according to the Constitution) are to promote prayer of all religions. Herein lies that problem.  OCCs do not want all religions to be promoted, just their singularly narrow point of view on the Christian religion.  If you will, indulge me in a history/ Constitution lesson.

The First Amendment states that we shall make not law respecting the establishment of a religion.  Constitutional scholars, including the men who shaped the document itself, have long understood that to mean one single religion.  This was an direct answer to the fact that in some colonies (Maryland) the Catholic Church was the official church.  In others (Virginia) it was Church of England or Episcopal Church.  In these states residents were required (member or not) to pay money into the church, which in turn used that money for things that today are know as welfare. Many in early America felt this unjust since we had just recently rebelled against England for (atleast partly) that very reason.  Unfortunately today, this battle continues.

If history and the Constitution are not your thing, then maybe patriotism and American Pride are.  Most RCs will tout "America is the great country in the world because we can come here (their church) and worship as we chose without any type of government interference or fear of persecution"..I have actually heard this said.  That is fine and dandy with me.  I agree that America is pretty unique in its understand that religion is a personal choice, but it is a personal choice.  If you want to have pride in America's religious freedom as it regards you, have a minimal understanding for what it means to other people.  Does a Hindu have any less pride in America because he is Hindu?  Does the Buddhist teacher at my school not think America is the coolest place in the world because he can sit at our lunch table and talk about religion with a Catholic, Methodist, Brethren, and Agnostic?  He does, let me tell you.  There lies the problem I have with OCCs or RCs.  They forget there are people out there that do not look at religion the same way they do.

So if RCs and OCCs want to blame the shooting in Colorado on a lack of prayer, that is their understanding.  Do I think it is right? No. Am I going to think any less of them? Admittedly yes some, but I will not attack them like they would me for saying that.  I will simply scratch my head and move on, thus there are somethings I won't understand..maybe ever.