| We were all taught in school that our | | | | religions of the world, but I can tell you |
| forefathers left England to escape religious | | | | that it doesn't take much research to see |
| dictatorships. Okay, there was a lot more to | | | | that they're all very much the same. Get |
| it then that, but it was a big enough deal | | | | past which church uses which secret handshake |
| that they made sure it got honorable mention | | | | and which rule book you should follow, and |
| in our rulebook. They clearly made the point | | | | you find that they're all teaching us to |
| that we were to have freedom of religion here | | | | respect each other, to love each other, to |
| in America. They also used the word "God" in | | | | conduct yourself with honor, and to be good |
| some of their formal paperwork and even on | | | | to the planet and animals that we're blessed |
| our money. I don't want to argue politics | | | | with. The rest is all dogma and debatable. |
| here, but rather semantics. They didn't say | | | | Nobody has any real concrete proof that their |
| "freedom of Christianity," they said "freedom | | | | particular form of God is the only one. |
| of religion." The boys who wrote up all of | | | | Who's to say that God or Jesus isn't wise |
| our formal paperwork were wordsmiths and they | | | | enough to visit more than once using |
| debated long and hard to find the perfect set | | | | different names and different forms? |
| of words to govern ourselves by. It wasn't | | | | Wouldn't it make sense given the size of the |
| decided that we had the freedom to choose | | | | planet that the rest of the world would need |
| whichever form of Christianity that we liked, | | | | to be given a fair chance at knowing about |
| but whichever form of religion. Religion is | | | | God too? Is Buddha so very different from |
| in and of itself a much broader concept then | | | | Jesus? Their teachings are incredibly |
| Christianity. "God" can mean a lot more then | | | | similar. Why limit God to a concept that |
| just the Christian definition too.No, I don't | | | | only fits what your particular culture or |
| agree with all the bickering and arguing over | | | | region of the world knows about?Another thing |
| whether or not there should be prayers in | | | | that always puzzled me is why prophets and |
| school or if the Pledge of Allegiance is | | | | seers are allowed to channel holy books and |
| constitutional. You can't stop someone from | | | | tell of the Messiah's coming, but then we're |
| praying whenever or wherever they choose. | | | | told by the churches that being psychic is |
| Nor can you force a prayer out of someone | | | | demonic? It seems a bit contradictory to me. |
| either. It's a dumb thing to argue about and | | | | Every psychic I've ever met lost power over |
| not worth being offended over either way. I | | | | their visions if they weren't acting in the |
| think it's important to teach out children | | | | highest good. Most of the psychics I've met |
| what our country's Pledge of Allegiance is, | | | | believe very deeply in a form of God or some |
| but I don't know that it's right to force | | | | sort of a higher magical loving guidance over |
| anyone to state a pledge, especially | | | | us. They're visions into the other side |
| children. Seems a bit dictator like and kind | | | | created that belief. There's nothing quite |
| of like brainwashing. Teach them what it | | | | like chatting with the All-Mighty to make a |
| means. Teach them what prayer means. Teach | | | | believer out of you. Isn't prayer in and of |
| them what making a pledge of any kind means | | | | itself a form of telepathic psychic |
| whether it's a pledge of one's allegiance to | | | | connection with the other side?It just seems |
| their country's flag, a pledge of fidelity to | | | | to me that if we quit arguing over what |
| a spouse, or a pledge of loyalty to a boss. | | | | words, labels, and names we give these |
| But also teach them that in this country we | | | | concepts and quit arguing over methods of |
| have the freedom to make pledges or not. | | | | prayer and such that we'd see that we're all |
| Teach them that in this country we have the | | | | so much more alike then we are different. |
| freedom to pray to whoever or whatever we | | | | I've known three different Catholic men who |
| like and the freedom not to pray. Teach them | | | | fell in love with the Buddhist faith because |
| just how important that freedom is.I'm | | | | it so beautifully highlights the teachings of |
| saddened when I hear of Pagan's being | | | | Christ. I really believe that is what we're |
| persecuted for their spiritual beliefs in | | | | meant to do. All of the holy books tell us |
| this country. Did the Sunday school teachers | | | | to love one another. You can't truly love |
| forget to mention that using the colors green | | | | someone if you don't take the time to really |
| and red for Christmas is Pagan? Did they | | | | get to know them and what they stand for. |
| mention that Christmas lights, yule logs, and | | | | Shouldn't we learn about each other from a |
| wreaths are all Pagan? Did they mention that | | | | place of love rather than from a place of |
| almost every single Christian holiday is | | | | judgement? Nobody can prove that anyone |
| celebrated ironically on top of a Pagan | | | | else's religion is wrong and nobody can prove |
| festival? Why do you think we have bunnies, | | | | that theirs is right. Too many translators |
| baby chicks, and pretty flowers as part of | | | | over the course of history to be able to be |
| our Easter celebration? Because it coincides | | | | 100% sure about anything any more. We can't |
| with the Pagan's celebrations of Spring's | | | | really assume that the others are completely |
| renewal. From what I can see, Pagans aren't | | | | wrong and we can't assume that our own |
| all evil ugly witches anymore than all | | | | religion is completely right. Religion and |
| Christians are white supremacists.I don't | | | | God is so much more than we can fully |
| have a deep knowledge of all of the different | | | | understand at this time. |