By Kortnee
in Addicting Info
There is a lot of worry
and concern about religious freedom in
the news these days. Sure, it’s rampant!
People around the globe are
being oppressed and slaughtered. It ain’t pretty out there, folks. But
somebody, somewhere, right here in our own country can be found this very
moment whining about how their own religious freedom has been violated right
here in our own backyard.
Take heed! Tell
everyone to keep watch! These same terrible things could happen to you. Don’t
allow your religious freedom to be endangered.
Not sure if your religious freedom is being threatened? Here are
10 signs that your religion is under attack.
#9. You are unable to
marry your soul-mate
because no public officials are willing to legally join a couple that actually
believes God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman.
#8. Excited by the news of your fifth pregnancy, you are
headed to the doctor for your first prenatal appointment but you cannot get
past all the zero-population growth picketers and protestors. As theyblock the sidewalk,
they yell and jeer, calling you “whore” and “human rabbit”. The
God-given life within your womb leaps with terror at the anger. When you
return to your car, you find it covered with smashed eggs.
#7. Your state allows monuments to be displayed on the
capitol lawn but the planning committee has refused to allow your creative
sculpture of the Ten Commandments even though they already have a Hindu
monkey statue to Lord
Hanuman prominently displayed.
#6. Your vacation request has been denied for Christmas day.
You requested this holy day off from work so that you can celebrate the birth
of your savior in prayer with your family. However, your boss denies your
vacation request and asks why you cannot simply observe
and practice your faith in
early December on Hanukkah and Kwanzaa like everyone else does.
#5. Your rapidly growing church group must hold crowded
services in a two-car garage because, in your city, churches cannot be built
within five miles of any of the Mosques or other historic sites deemed assacred ground.
#4. The science teacher at your daughter’s school insists
that evolution is scientific fact. Despite your efforts to openly discuss Creationism he laughs heartily and rambles on
about fossils and carbon dating.
#3. You are outraged because a particular political party repeatedly bashes Christianity, slamming the “Bible” and
“Jesus”, in an effort to distract public attention from their own failures and
impending downfall. They have even accused the president of being a
Christian!
#2. Your car gets towed by haters while you are in church on
Sunday. “Christians Don’t Park Here” signs
have been posted on the street all
around your church.
#1. You are forced to use birth control in order to remain covered under your
insurance plan. You wonder why. Clearly someone somewhere doesn’t
think you are smart enough to responsibly manage the equipment you were born
with.
… And just one more thing.
You are spitting mad
because your religion is not listed first on the Wikipedia page of
world religions. There are an estimated 4200 world religions.
You might be a victim of a huge threat to your religious freedom if your
religion of choice is not listed FIRST. Let’s face it folks, the religion
YOU practice is the most important one, right? Don’t stand for being third or
fourth on anybody’s list. And most certainly don’t get caught praying to
or worshipping a God who would stand for that kind of crap either! If
this describes you, your religious freedom might indeed be threatened.
Don’t miss it! The ultimate sign of religious freedom
violation is revealed below…
Religious freedom is a
fundamental human right. It is one of the issues that has caused more wars,
moreworld
conflicts and more
un-neighborly arguments at the end of people’s driveways than almost any other
topic throughout all of history anywhere on our planet. And I’m guessing
it’s the same on other similar unenlightened planets throughout the cosmos
too. Let’s face it: People are passionate about their spirituality and
religious freedom. And we humanoids seem to actually enjoy fighting about it.
This penchant for
squabbling about religious freedom is an age-old argument that humans just cannot
seem to resolve. The annals of history are filled with infinite bloody tales of extreme
woe and violence all
in the name of God. Or whatever name you personally choose to call the Supreme One or in the event that there IS more
than one: The Supremes.
(Please. Stop! In the name of love!)
The
conservatives are to blame!
But who is to blame for
starting all these epic feuds and petty spats about religious freedom? A
clear answer can be found in the history books. The conservatives in
every crowd have typically started the fights.
Oops…did I say,
conservatives? What I meant to say was, the people who feel self-righteous and
believe they are more enlightened than the rest of us. You know some
folks like this, right? The people who are on a mission, motivated by a desire
for power and control dripping with fear, to change everyone else’s way of
thinking lest we all rot in the depths of Hell or some other heinous fiery
place. The people who quiver with anger and throw poison darts when others
refuse to succumb to their
supposedly-more-enlightened-brainwashed-ridiculousness.
Who are these religious
freedom crusaders? Hmm…. On second thought, allow me to rewind. Who is to
blame? Conservatives and ultra-conservatives.
Of course, they haven’t
always been called by THAT name. They’ve traveled through time under many
names openly attacking anyone who thinks differently. But their reasons are
always the same. Holy arguments all have similar roots and similar goals.
Religious freedom has long been attacked. Spreading one’s own belief, winning
back property, rescuing people and places that are polluted with
profanity and avenging
past attacks.
The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the key.
In modern terms?
Religious freedom is attacked when somebody thinks they know something bigger
and better and then decides to force their ideas upon others. Instead of
simply being open-minded and accepting that others simply think differently.
Imagine how history could’ve been different?
But, here’s the good
news. Despite all the fear-based fussing and fighting and the need others
may have for control and power, you cannot be persecuted for what you believe,
no matter what. The United Nations says so in Article 18 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. So there. You have the right
to be whatever religion you choose and to believe whatever you want. And nobody
can tell you differently. Aaah… religious freedom.
The absolute, ultimate sign that your religious freedom has been
violated…
You’re shocked and
disappointed as you approach the pearly gates on the day you die to see all the
Buddhists, Muslims, Tao’ists, Wiccans and Jews being greeted by Saint Peter as
they pass on through into eternity…