Freedom From Religion

Today I had the opportunity of buzzing through Ron Pauls website. I really like Ron Paul and think he stands for less government and more control for the people. This is a good thing. But going through his writings, I realized something very disturbing. He, like so many others, fails to understand what real freedom is. He believes in freedom to a large extent, but falters when he says that true freedom comes from Jesus.

True freedom comes from Jesus? What kind of "1984" world of madness do we live in when a book can say that "freedom is servitude to christ" and people all cheer? What happened to the freedom to not believe in god? The words "separation of church and state" are not in the constitution. But damn it, its not some mystical doctrine as Ron Paul says, its in a letter that Jefferson wrote to clarify his meaning of those words in the constitution! Jefferson absolutely meant for it to be the separation of church and state. In fact, he goes so far as to say that the constitution erects a complete wall of separation between church and state! The constitution, that he himself wrote!

But people still think that means the right to practice your faith any where, and not be challenged on it. But I have a right to NOT have religion either. My child should not have to go to school and be forced to have a school prayer, or say in god we trust. How does that not come through as a violation of freedom? Prayer in schools? If a teacher were to lead a class in prayer, it would be very intimidating for someone not to join in, especially if they were the only one not doing it. Yet someone people think that this should be allowed under the "freedom to practice religion" clause.

Freedom means freedom. It means I personally can practice my faith, or complete lack of it as the case may be, but the government doesn't have a say in the matter one way or the other! It means that the government also may not do anything that will encourage one view or the other, because thats not its job. A school is state run, thus it qualifies to shut its mouth about religion. However, there are private schools in which your student can be taught any wacky unprovable thing you want. But you know what, my child should not have to believe in god, and he should never be intimidated by a group that does. And that, Dr. Ron Paul, is why your view of religious freedom is not freedom at all, it is a spit in the eye of freedom.