A New Secular Order
The Pope died, Michael Jackson touched little
boys, Social Security is under debate, some lady in Florida is in a coma…news
news news. I’m just not interested! I don’t want to write
about uninteresting, hyped up, frustrating, heart-wrenching, pseudo-entertaining
crap that’s currently being shoved at the public. No…I want
to write about hookers, polygamy, and gays. I want to write about the
separation of church and state.
The rich white guys that started this country were amazing folks. Every
one a Christian, they knew damn well that the best thing for their religion
would be to tie it intimately to their country. But, the best thing for
their country, they decided was not the best thing for their religion.
For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, they decided that their
country was more important than their religion, and that it would be best
for the two to be separate. “Congress shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free expression thereof”
However well we’ve held up the intent of the somewhat hypocritical,
yet very well intentioned founding fathers, is another question. I was
forced, every week day of my youth to pledge allegiance under god. Let
it be known that the original pledge was a much simpler, more constitutional
sentence when the Chairman of the National Education Association, Francis
Bellamy, wrote it in 1892: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the
Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.” Let it also be known that he even considered adding
“and equality” to the end of the pledge, but knew it would
be vetoed. “Under God” was only added after a successful campaign
lead by the Knights of Columbus in the 50’s.
Religion also made its way onto currency. During the Civil War, the increased
strife, and resulting increase in religious practice, lead to the addition
of “In God We Trust” to all legal tender. Current campaigns
are underway to remove this, and have been for an awfully long time. My
favorite involves only a couple seconds of your time and a ball-point
pen. What is it that you trust in?
Despite our largely successful attempts at freedom from religious oppression,
Gods laws, in some cases, have become America’s laws. Two thousand
years ago Jesus turned water into wine, undoubtedly the beginning of a
rockin’ party. What jesus did not do was turn dandelions into marijuana.
If he had, and I wish he had, there would be quite a few less people in
American jails. It’s silly that we can drink ourselves into oblivion
and death, but owning marijuana is as illegal as sexual abuse.
Speaking of sexual abuse, prostitutes are a victim of the same pressuring
of Christian values on a secular state. Sure, it’s horrible, yes
I wish there were no prostitutes. But prostitution is not a disease that
must be eradicated, it is a symptom than can be treated, but never entirely
removed. If it could be stopped, I would vote to stop it. But it cannot,
so it should be regulated and controlled, just like airlines, and drug
manufacturers. Hell, if we can keep 195 tons of airplane floating in the
air, we can keep the worlds oldest professionals safe.
The arguments against prostitution ,polygamy, and homosexuality are religious.
Arguments for women’s rights, regulation, control, and protection
of people participating in polygamy and prostitution are secular, and
I support them. The more we allow our religious backgrounds to blind us
to the truth of prostitution and polygamy, the more women will suffer.
It is in this regard that the church has had them most detrimental affect
on our country.
Let’s face it, the New Secular Order is doing pretty well for its
self. Reproductive rights are holding strong in the face of a faith-based
presidency, we have managed to separate radical Islamists from Muslims
and Christians from Klansmen.
For a full year I wrote a weekly column for a daily paper in Boulder CO. I wrote about being young, poor and green, and the column was widely loved throughout the city. It remains one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.
If you've got some time on your hands...check 'em out.
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