It is wonderful to be in a country where one can worship God in their own way. Of course, this means people are allowed to make other choices too. Our Creator wants us to be able to choose Him without being forced. There is a consequence for wrong choices and wrong doing. And there are wrong ways of thinking and speaking, yet God would not have unwilling slaves.So while we are on this earth, we are given the freedom to choose.
Men sometimes try to take away this freedom and martyrs have died because of this. Yet, Christians who have died in the hands of persecutors, have gained freedom in their deaths. They have an eternity of happiness to look forward to. Though we may have freedom to worship as we choose, we do not have the freedom to harm others.
The "golden rule" applies at all times. We cannot live without it, although many manage to try, because of the selfish heart of man. Cruelty has been committed by men who claim to be serving God. They are self-deceived and are serving another master. Those who follow Bible teachings and submit themselves to their Creator and Redeemer, will not persecute those who do not agree with them. Anyone who does, whether clergy or layperson, is not following the path the Saviour has walked before us.
Some people may believe they are Christians, yet they cannot be unless the fruits of the Spirit rule their lives. This is why a government-regulated religion is dangerous. Each individual must be given free choice in the matter, no matter how strange his beliefs are. Christ won people through His loving example. If a person cannot be won over by our prayers and kind words (and scripture when it is desired) by the wooing of the Holy Spirit in their hearts, then God will not be able to win them. He does not use force, He uses love. And that is why religious freedom is so important in any country.-- (c) 1997, Kathryn Terrell
This editorial ran in a bilingual newspaper called Dos Mundos (Two Worlds).One Wall Must Remain Standing
By Trish Williams
In a metaphoric way, a wall is usually seen in a negative light. There are walls people build between cultures, which if not brought down, create tension and even prejudice. There are personal walls we sometimes build which keep others out, and keep us isolated and lonely. But there is a Wall (which I capitalize to show its importance and distinction) which should never be touched nor broken, for if this Wall were brought down, a primitive type of slavery of the mind and spirit would take place which would destroy individuality.
Brick by brick this Wall has been eroded by masters of manipulation who claim the Wall to be evil, but those who see through the smokescreen will recognize that the Wall is far from evil, and is instead a supporter of individual choice. This Wall must remain standing. What is this Wall? It is that which separates church and state -- A Wall that should be just as precious to Americans as the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem is to Jews.
The wonderful thing about America is the freedom we have to worship as we please. Freedom of conscience is something God gave each of us, and those who do not believe in God, can choose not to worship Him without government interference. Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and all other religious institutions in America have the unique privilege to practice their faith as they see fit. The government has no right to tell any of us who we should worship, how we should worship, where we should worship or even what day on which to worship. Although there are forces which are seeking to unite all religious groups together, truly what unites us is faith in God. >p>Unity should never create an environment that fosters compromise in one's beliefs, doctrines and theology -- Not even for the sake of the majority. True peace and freedom in religious America comes about by individual FREEDOM of conscience and the complete respect we have for one another's differences. Yes, we can salute our similarities, but if Muslims want to worship on the sixth day of the week, Friday; Catholics on the first day of the week, Sunday; and Jews and Seventh-day Adventists on the seventh-day, Saturday, this is their prerogative.
Unfortunately, in recent months, Catholic and Protestant officials have become very vocal concerning the need to observe Sunday as a day of rest. In some areas, church leadership have already been given direction to persuade their politicians to consider Sunday legislation. In the early days of America (and still written on the books) "blue laws" were enacted enforcing mandatory observance of Sunday. The nation's first blue law dates to 1610 in the old Virginia Settlement, where failure to worship on Sunday and attend church resulted in deprivation of food, whipping and even death. Can you imagine being killed for not attending church on Sunday? And what sort of provision was made for those who didn't observe Sunday as the "Sabbath?"
The fact is, history shows us over and over again that religion and politics don't mix. When a religious party decides to legislate a certain version of morality (their own), the result can be religious tyranny. This occurred in the Dark Ages when thousands were slaughtered for not following papal rulership. Later America was formed, but still people were being punished by Protestants for not observing Sunday as a day of rest. Two of the best things our forefathers ever created were the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Without these documents, America might have been taken over by special interest religious groups or others who might have had an agenda contrary to individual rights.
Kansas City public officials and politicians should be very sensitive to protect the rights of minority groups. This should be true concerning minority cultural groups, as well as minority religious groups. Politicians need to be leary, if and when approached by any religious organization claiming the desire to enact laws which would erode the Wall of separation of church and state. Whether these laws have to deal with mandatory prayer in school, or any other law which violates the separation of church and state, politicians should not be swayed.
We do not need the government to tell us to go to church. This is a personal decision each of us makes. We should not have to answer to the government, nor to the head of any church group claiming they have special directive from God which violates our own personal conscience. These groups, pushing Sunday observance, need to back off and let Americans decide when to worship. These groups claim that by the year 2000, a Sunday law will be enacted in America. God help us if this happens. Even though we may be tempted to think such a law is a good thing, for after all, we all deserve a day of rest, let's not be fooled by its innocent guise. Every step we take toward asking the government to get involved in our religious decisions, is one step toward giving up our religious freedoms. If we're going to unite, let us unite under the banner of freedom, not the banner of self-surrender to governmental control.
