A Different Perspective

God has no religion
~Mahatma Gandhi~

I have always said that religion is man made.  I had no idea I was in such good company or that my thought wasn't original.  There I go again thinking I'm all that with a cherry on top to boot.  But I digress. 

When something is done in the name of 'religious freedom' what exactly does that mean?  Supposedly it means that every religion has the right to co-exist peacefully.  Nice concept.  When the first colonists came to the New World, they did so for religious freedom.  Apparently they meant religious freedom for them and their religion.  Their tolerance did not extend to other religions.

The Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were some of the biggest persecutors of the Quakers and, in fact, passed a law that Quakers were not allowed in their settlement.  Likewise, in early Maryland, a law was enacted that barred Catholics from practicing openly and went so far as to ban Catholics from holding positions of authority.  And then there are the atheists who demand freedom from religion.  Personally, I think that's a redundant concept since we all have the right to choose our religion or not to choose, I would think.

So, here's what I don't quite grasp:  why is religious freedom an issue?  Don't all various religions in Christianity worship the same God?  It's those religions that worship someone or something else - or those that worship nothing - that is different.  Allah, Buddha, Krishna, Confucius, the various gods of the Greeks and Vikings - none of them are the one God, the creator of the universe and mankind.  Should not the issue be freedom to worship who we want rather than how we worship?  Isn't that the real freedom?

Maybe I think too simply, but I don't get why so many have so little tolerance for anyone who thinks differently from themselves.  My God tells us to 'love others as we love ourselves'.  That seems pretty straightforward to me.  He didn't add a condition that "as long as they believe as you do", did He?  My God loves everyone equally - yes, even those who don't worship Him.  He has given us free will to choose who we will worship - or not to worship anyone.

I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, so, again, I ask: what's the real issue here?

About September 11

The one thing that terrorist cannot do -- not one of them, not 10 of them, not 10,000 of them -- they can't change who we are.

~Gen. Colin Powell~

Twelve years and the memory is as clear as if it were today.  It's one of those times in history that no matter how long it's been, you still remember where you were and what you were doing when it happened.  You can still remember the feelings that washed over you - the disbelief, the fear, the anger, the helplessness, the uncertainty of what was going to happen now and the overwhelming need to reach out to those we love to make sure they were alright.

This year seems to be more intense than any of the past annual observances - at least it seems to me that's the case.  I think it's because there's so much happening at this point in time that is causing a knot in collective stomachs of most Americans.  Well, in MY stomach anyway.

I think it began when AMPAC (American Muslim Political Action Committee) decided to have one million Muslims march in Washington DC to demand their civil rights be protected.  Okay, fine, I don't see why their civil rights are any less protected than anyone else's but, okay, let them march.  But on THIS particular day?  Of all the 365 days in a year, why would they pick the one day on which most Americans are not very sympathetic to them?  It shows a total lack of respect and compassion for what happened on that horrific day twelve years ago.  I believe it's not only disrespectful and discompassionate (is that even a word??) but also comes across as blatantly throwing it in our faces.

Then, along comes a group of bikers who decide to take two million bikes to Washington to protest the Muslims protest - protesting a protest - that's a new one but I like it!  Now here's where it starts to get, um, wow - I can't think of a word to use!  Funky?  Weird?  Oh, I know - how about discriminatory?  Yeah, this is where it starts to get discriminatory.  The Muslims were granted a permit while the bikers were denied theirs.  According to one of the co-founders of the bikers organization, their permit was denied because it was a weekday, it would tie up traffic and the police force didn't have enough manpower to block off all the roads.

God bless our biker community.  They're nothing if not resilient.  No permit?  No problem - "we'll go anyway and just obey all the traffic laws" they said.  Wouldn't you know that "they" (whoever the proverbial "they" are) would have none of that?  Sorry bikers but the President has decided to give a speech at the same place where you planned to be so the roads will have to be closed - you know, for security reasons.  Resilience rises again and the bikers said 'no problem - we'll just change our route but we'll have to keep it private - you know, for security reasons'.

I have to admit that this determination from the biker group has my heart swelling with a sense of patriotic pride that I've not felt in a very long time.  It feels good to know that not only are there more than two million Americans who still have a sense of what our great nation is all about but that they are also willing to take a stand and not let anything stop them.

You know what's the kicker?  These bikers wouldn't even be doing this if the Muslim group hadn't chosen this particular day for their protest.  I don't know anyone who wants to deny them their civil rights but ya know, I for one (and I suspect there are millions who agree with me) don't feel one iota of compassion for them on this day of all days.  If they want Americans to support their so-called "cause", then they should have picked another day.

God bless the USA