Fob James is going to call out the National Guard to defend an Alabama judge's right to public prayer before court and display the 10 Commandments within the court room. Wasn't Fob elected by the people of Alabama? Does he realize that not all of them are the same religion? Aren't we all entitled to equal representation by elected officials? In order, the answers are yes, probably not, and yes.
Would Fob call out the National Guard to defend a Muslim judge's right to recite a Muslim prayer before court? Do all Christians think they are the only religion to pray? What has happened to tolerance? Again, in order, the answers are: no, not all, and that is really something for everybody to pray about.
If Judge Moore has to pray, he should allow a prayer for all religions. If he must display the 10 Commandments, he should display religious artifacts from all religions. Under our Constitution and legal code, court is the place to decide law, not religion. The place for religion is in church, and each church is guaranteed, by the same documents, the right to practice its religion within very broad boundaries.
The rest of us, who live quite moral lives, are put to the test by such actions, whether we are Christian, Buddhist or any other of the many and varied religions found in the world. God did not defend Himself with violence - why must some now think they must defend their religion with more violence. Are not violence and religion a contradiction when used concurrently? Does not the Bible (and most serious religious books) say, in one form or another, love thy neighbor as thy self?
The bottom line is most of us have beliefs (or a faith) that we are developingthroughout our lives, and these are different. Our diversity is our strength and our weakness. None of us will learn the bottom-line truth until we die. While we live, the truth is only our personal beliefs. My relationship with my maker is just that-my relationship. If I am judged-I am the one who is responsible, and that judgment is between my God and me.
The use of violence or the threat of violence to force that belief on others is a moral sin anyway you cut it. Christ did not raise an army to stop his crucifixion-He asked his Father to forgive. A message that has become lost in our only too human world.
Religious wars are an oxymoron.- A strike against religion itself. Religion is suppose to lead us to love-to lead us to the promised land-instead we kill in God's name. As a race we have not matured; we have not grown into the basic lessons most every religion teaches. Religion can be used to teach us right from wrong and to heal our society . But what message do we send to our children when we use violence to force our beliefs-when we use violence to make others believe or behave as we want? Riddle me that.
Effectively, this Judge and Fob are forcing their beliefs on the rest of us when we are present in a public place. In some cases, there is where we are required to be. A place where people should receive equal representation. If the Court is so inclined to Christian prayer, would someone of another religion be able to feel that there would be no prejudice against them? What guarantee do they have that they would not be harassed because of a different belief? It is time we wake up as a society, recognize that we are not all alike, and we are not all going to be alike. We must live together, as the separate and vital people that we are.