Posts Tagged ‘Constitution’

I have been giving a lot of thought to the topic of religion for the last couple decades. Way back when Carter was President and Iran seemingly fell over the edge of reason and rationality, not to mention falling out of the 20th century, it fired up the burner in the back of my brain.

Much of the Mideast fell onto the same path—-one full of religious animosity attached to economic and political issues where America was found to blame. I found the increasing politicization of spiritual life distressing, and then depressing….and finally by the 1990’s, utterly terrifying.

And that terror did not relate only to the horrors unfolding in Afghanistan and other Islamic nations. Finally, it came home to roost in America as the rhetoric from American pulpits began to echo the same sentiments as what turbaned mullahs screamed in Arabic or Farsi. I was baffled when I talked to Christian friends and asked them if they did not think it just as dangerous when ANY religion reached for the reins of political power; they looked at me as if I had taken leave of my senses.

There are American churchmen who think a theocratically guided government would be best. So much for freedom of religion in the United States if a legal code based fully on “Biblical truths” is ever brought into being. Thus, because I love my country and I believe that the Constitutional promise of “freedom of religion” means ALL religions, I find myself engaging in magic to protect that right.

I sometimes think the self-proclaimed “righteous” religious types who believe in a Dominionist approach to governing my nation have altogether forgotten who Jesus was and what he taught; when he said “Render unto Caesar…” he did not mean taxes alone and he clearly said his kingdom was NOT “of this world.” I believe the churchmen who would turn American into a Christian version of Iran or Afghanistan have forgotten the God they claim to worship. They worship a false deity of power and hatred, of repression and guilt—a deity of their own creation.

It reminds me of stories told of stone age peoples seeing an eclipse of the moon: terrified that the beautiful moon that lit their nights was being devoured by a monster, they threw spears and shot arrows where that black and invisible enemy would have to be located. They fought to rescue the moon. Our freedom to worship as we see fit (or freedom from worshiping) is a Constitutional right as beautiful as the full moon we saw on New Year’s Eve. The Religious Right that wants to make their religious ideals the law of the land are as ravenous for power over the Constitution as the legendary monster; they talk of shepherds like Christ, but are wolves indeed! It is time for all Americans of many faiths, or no faith at all, to take up arms—verbal arms, legal arms, logical arms, and yes, for us pagans, even magical arms to fight for our rights before they are gone.

My magic this week revolved around the visualization of a partially eclipsed full moon, being devoured by a power-mad monster. And I shot magically visualized arrows into the night, to drive it away. To save the beauty and light of our nights; to save the American right that many original colonists of this nation came here to find—freedom to practice their religion as they saw fit. Not all were Puritans, by the way. We are a nation of immigrants with many traditions of spirituality. If we allow the loudest, most self-righteous and right wing religious leaders to gain control of even portions our government, further weakening the wall between Church and State, the night that falls upon America will be far darker than a moonless night in winter.

Shoot off a letter, a magic arrow….and yes, shoot off your MOUTH at anyone telling you it’s ok because “God said so.” Because, Voltaire had it right when he said, “Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities.” It has already begun.

…even in post 9-11 America. At long last, some of the lawsuits resulting from the post 9-11 round up of Islamic males are coming to settlement. Five Muslim men will share one and one quarter million dollars for wrongful arrest and imprisonment. Their lawsuits against Ashcroft and other members of the Bush Administration are ongoing.

They were dragged into a jail, smashed face-first against a t-shirt tacked to a wall. A t-shirt emblazoned with the American flag, and spattered with blood. Now, isn’t that just THE way to honor “Old Glory” or what? Excuse my sarcasm, but who thought that was a good idea, really?

And it is not going so well abroad for the people who facilitated savage methods: the Italians have convicted (in absentia) CIA agents who participated in renditions. We will have to get used to the fallout of behavior once called un-American that has too often characterized our country for the past eight years.

As we still fight two wars, let us not forget a few things:

Do not replace courage with brutality.

Do not replace patriotism with nationalism.

Do not replace justice with vengeance.

Do not replace Constitutional guarantees with mob rule.

And the Constitution is NOT just a “goddamned piece of paper.”

Oh, my, my, my…Bill O’ Reilly has his shorts in a twist again….this time at my home state and the good Governor Gregoire.  Seems that since the capital, Olympia, let public property be adorned with a Nativity Set (and I must say, an abidingly homely one), they also let an atheist group put up a small sign declaring the idea of gods to be fictional.

The phones are ringing off the hooks, mail is pouring in everyone bitching about this to no end…..oh, the war on Christmas and Christians, oh woe, woe, woe.

Oh, bullshit.

I am proud that the State of Washington found the fortitude to follow the CONSTITUTION.  You know, that “goddamned piece of paper” that George Bush has ignored?  It says “No establishment of religion” by the government—that means no governmental functionary can favor one or the other in a public capacity.  That means if they are polite and kind and let Christians put up a creche scene, they need to likewise let atheists, pagans, Jews and anyone else so inclined do the SAME.  Duh, you dimwits screaming about this…..FREEDOM OF RELIGION MEANS ALL (OR NO) RELGIONS.

I am sick of the war on common sense, the war on the Constitutional rights of Americans who think instead of acting like sheep, the war on Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and many other “wars.”  There IS no war on Christmas; it is not war to say to Christians: “This season is special to MANY people for many reasons; some secular reasons, some religious and you do NOT get to tell one and all to celebrate it YOUR way alone.”

Let me remind everyone, the last time religion ruled the world for Europeans, it was called the Dark Ages.  If you think religious rule in America is such a good damned idea, take a good look at Iran right after they dumped the Shah.  And if you think it can’t happen here, wake up and smell the coffee.  Or the batshit crazy.  Get over your persecution complex, if you have your panties knotted over the idea that America is not only composed of Christians who have to have only their displays of faith and seasonal joy displayed.

So much for enjoying MY season, eh?  Dragged out of seclusion by the burning stupid.

Oh, and by the way, to all the Christians who are filling Gregoire’s phone mail box with negative notices about this?  Do something like Jesus would do, instead of bitching, WORK for what you say you believe in.  Go help homeless families on the streets of Washington cites.  Like the family in Lakewood, Washington, forced to sleep in their car.  And they woke yesterday morning to find their two month old baby DYING.  Gee, focus on the death of innocents in REAL families,  instead of plaster statues of families and I will be a lot more impressed.  The new manger is a car in Lakewood.

And lest you think that there is nothing whatsoever wrong with favoring one religion over another, I direct you to this link to follow and read.  With dismay, if you are not already brainwashed.

http://blog.au.org/2008/11/25/hell-in-little-axe-an-oklahoma-moms-chilling-battle-with-religious-bigotry/

::::::stomps off feeling utterly depressed and snarky, not to mention snarly:::::::::

But not from me.  Someone said it much better than I could say it.

Do go read, please.  You just might be inspired!

http://pecunium.livejournal.com/357412.html?view=2953764#t2953764

And as for me, now that my Samhain is over, my New Year begins….resolutions, exercise, and all that stuff.  And catching up on sleep!