As many of you may recall, I recently wrote a post suggesting that the religious right be minimized in the Republican platform and stripped of power in setting the agenda. I laid out my reasoning. Some agreed and some disagreed. I was asked yesterday about a current trend in discrimination against christians in America. I offered to write a post about it because there were certainly a few different religious discussions threatening to break out. Couple this with the recent discussion I saw about Muslims and I feel like perhaps the time has come for a bit of a religious discussion. I enter into the territory with trepidation, however….

I think that for the most part, Americans are pretty accepting of other religions. I also think that for the most part, Americans are very ignorant about other religions. My wife and I have a major hobby of studying religious history and other religions. That would come from the fact that my marriage contains two people with vastly different religions, one christian and one non-christian. For those who say a marriage cannot survive with differing views on religion, I submit our very happy marriage as an example that you are wrong. 

As I said, I believe that Americans are fairly religiously tolerant. But they are also very religiously ignorant. Pick a religion other than christianity and you will find that American christians tend to know some of the basic principles or ideas, but know very little about the reality of those other religions. One that comes to mind is how often I have heard people say that Buddhists worship Buddha as their god (Not True). Another popular one is that people believe that “Islam” means “peace” (It doesn’t). The point is merely that what Americans tend to know about other religions is mostly only what the media or their friends have told them. And it is often inaccurate. 

I believe that most of the intolerance that, while a minority, does exist, is based on the ignorance that people have for the other religions. It is human nature to judge on what you know, and with so little knowledge, Americans are often left with a very incomplete picture. I say all of this because I think it is important that if we are going to discuss religion in this forum, it is the subject that most threatens the level of respect that I request from my readers. When someone make s a comment differing from your opinion. Ask yourself if they are doing so out of intolerance or ignorance. Ask the same of yourself when you disagree. It will go a long way to keeping things civil.

The topic tonight is the censorship of religion in America. The interesting thing is that these days it seems that the only religion that is censored in America, is the religion that 75% (I have heard many different numbers so I picked on in the middle) of Americans practice: Christianity.

I have to admit that it sometimes ticks me off when I see it happening. Examples of the ways that Christians are treated differently than other religious groups in America are abundant. Hollywood has done movies over and over again portraying christians as either religious nutjobs or downright evil people. However you won’t see much coming out of Hollywood doing the same for other religions of the world. In fact Holly wood goes out of its way to play nice with every other religion out there. 

The war on Christmas has been a common theme each year, with people generally falling into two distinct and totally silly camps: Those that are offended when someone says “Merry Christmas” and those who are going to say it as a matter of protest. Towns and cities across America have been forced to remove Santa Claus from their traditional Christmas parade because of protests by one or two families in the town that feel it alienates them from attending the event. Schools no longer allow Christmas trees or the traditional Christmas Carols during the holidays. 

The fight to eliminate religion from schools is a misnomer. It should be called the fight to eliminate christianity from schools. Other religions are free to practice and be taught. I am not for teaching christianity in public schools. That violates the separation of church and state (But eliminating the public education system would alleviate that little argument wouldn’t it). But the banning of religion is another thing altogether. A quick web search for students getting in trouble for praying in school returns a troubling amount of information. When a 7 year old is suspended for saying a prayer before eating her lunch, we have gone too far. And that type of action is far too common. And the fact taht we cannot teach the principles of christianity (just history and facts here, not preaching or converting), but that it is accepted that it is OK to teach that aspect of Islam, Buddhism, or any other religion is troubling as well. 

Gay AND Media Anti-Christian

The gay activist community has some troubling hypocrisy of its own that seems to be OK with the media and main stream Americans. We have seen many protests where gay activists dress up as nuns or as Jesus. We have seen them run into Catholic churches and begin making out and screaming “Jesus was a Homo”. All the while demanding that gays be treated with the respect that they deserve in America. Really, that is how you demand respect, with displays like that?

Speaking of the media, they have their own agenda, as we have all discussed at great length. Their war on christianity is well documented by a google search as well. They have led the attack with the wide spread publicity they heaped on the few priests who were caught molesting alter boys. While a horrendous crime, a simple comparison will demonstrate their disdain for the church. I don’t remember the exact numbers but I know these are very close to accurate, and may be exactly correct: In the ten year period between 1990 and 2000, there were 867 reports of priests sexually assaulting minors. During that same period there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 27,000 reports of teachers sexually assaulting minors. When you think of child molestation by a trusted adult, do you think of priests or teachers? I rest my case. The media made sure you heard about one of those every day, and the other once in a while when it was extreme, like a pregnant teacher.

And let us not forget all the recent movements to remove God from anything American. The lawsuits to remove a sculpture of the ten commandments from a courthouse. The movements to remove “In God We Trust” from the face of our money (and let’s be honest here, God is the only one who is going to make that money increase in value). During this inaugural season we had yet another atheist sue to have the reading of a prayer during the inauguration stopped and the mention of god removed from the ceremony. 

The point is that despite the fact that the majority of Americans are christians, and the fact that this country was founded on Judeo-Christian values and principles, Christianity is under a full frontal assault in America. While other religions are being catered to and coddled as though we must not offend them under any circumstances. We are constantly told what not to say in order to not offend muslims, while making fun of or attacking christians is blatantly accepted and approved. 

And in many muslim countries, the respect accorded them in America is not returned. Dhimmi is the status accorded to non-Muslims in regions dominated by Islam. Often translated as “second-class citizen,” that unappealing phrase is itself a euphemism. We might better think of dhimmis as persons with no rights, no legal standing, no claims of citizenship, those who live shadow lives always subject to heavy taxes for simply being what they are-non-Muslims. Dhimmis may not be slaves, but they are just a notch above. Ken Blackwell calls those who demand that we cater to muslims in our christian countries dhimmicrats.

When Anglican Bishop Nazir-Ali came to the U.S. earlier this year, he did not call for persecution of Muslims. Nazir-Ali called upon all Christians to treat Muslims with genuine respect. Asked whether muezzins ought to be allowed to call Muslims to prayer in his home city of Rochester. “Certainly,” the Bishop replied even-handedly, “as soon as church bells ring out in Mecca.” That is more in line with the tones of religious freedoms that should work both ways. However I do understand that in America, we will strive to be better than other countries. 

Our system of law, individual freedoms, and the Christian religion are what distinguishes the United States among the nations. The levels of freedom and religious equality in America make us unique. Both are daily being bartered away by dhimmicrats who are more concerned with respecting muslims than respecting those christians that make up the majority of this country. Between them and the new socialist movement, I wonder how long America can remain the great country she once was. We were once beacon of hope for the world, but we are slowly slipping into obscurity thanks to Washington politics and true social liberals.