Thanks for your comment, Barb. I do confess that I sometimes feel intense anger against Christians, whose power in this country has hurt my family and people I care about in very palpable ways, and I have to smack myself alongside the head and remind myself that I practice peace. ;) Incidents like when I was in the teacher's computer room the other day and a TA came in and started complaining about having to attend the wedding of a woman she knew was bisexual, and another teacher reminded her that "As Christians, it is not our place to judge; we just have to love," or comments like yours help me to keep my perspective, so I thank you for it. :)
I know I'm privileged when it is the holidays I observe that are officially recognized
As an agnostic, I practiced these holidays in secular form (and still do, although I'm constantly trying to get Easter off my calendar, I have to confess!) and never really realized my privilege. When I started practicing Druidry--and we observe eight seasonal holidays to mark the changing seasons and the cycle of the sun--I realized how challenging it can be to observe holidays not on the calendar. Bobby and I generally enjoy a supper of local foods, have our seasonal observance, and then take the evening off from technology and enjoy music or read poems and stories. When I was student teaching, it was difficult, since I generally needed the whole evening on the computer to plan for the next day. And even though my mentor would have worked with me, I felt bad asking.
Not like that would happen, but it's the principal of the thing.
I think more to the point for Christians--which those who support the easing of the separation of church and state tend to overlook--is that Christians have been historically good at persecuting other Christians. Those who get to determine the "correct" form of worship or belief likely won't do so in a way that correlates with the system practiced by those who think that life would be so much better in a so-called Christian nation. They may find themselves at the head of the line for persecution in such an eventuality, even ahead of heathens like me. ;) They may also find themselves wishing for that Druidic ritual, as the form of Druidry I practice doesn't mandate belief in any particular deity/deities and welcomes Christians, non-theists, Pagans, Jews, Mormons ... anyone, equally. ;)
I wish more Christians understood why separation of church and state is beneficial to Christians.
We've been admonished: "Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's and unto God what is God's." The worldly and the spiritual are two different spheres, and when we get them tangled up, it's the spiritual that suffers.
We also have obligations to our faith that might not be met if we have to give consideration to the state-- as we see by the restrictions placed on religious charities when they accept federal or state tax dollars.
And finally it comes down to fairness towards those who do not share our faith. In the past Christians have been a persecuted minority. And as you point out certain sects of Christianity are persecuted by other sects. This persecution has little to do with faith, and a lot to do with politics and culture. Is it fair for us to turn around and visit that persecution on others? I think not.
I know I'm privileged when it is the holidays I observe that are officially recognized
As an agnostic, I practiced these holidays in secular form (and still do, although I'm constantly trying to get Easter off my calendar, I have to confess!) and never really realized my privilege. When I started practicing Druidry--and we observe eight seasonal holidays to mark the changing seasons and the cycle of the sun--I realized how challenging it can be to observe holidays not on the calendar. Bobby and I generally enjoy a supper of local foods, have our seasonal observance, and then take the evening off from technology and enjoy music or read poems and stories. When I was student teaching, it was difficult, since I generally needed the whole evening on the computer to plan for the next day. And even though my mentor would have worked with me, I felt bad asking.
Not like that would happen, but it's the principal of the thing.
I think more to the point for Christians--which those who support the easing of the separation of church and state tend to overlook--is that Christians have been historically good at persecuting other Christians. Those who get to determine the "correct" form of worship or belief likely won't do so in a way that correlates with the system practiced by those who think that life would be so much better in a so-called Christian nation. They may find themselves at the head of the line for persecution in such an eventuality, even ahead of heathens like me. ;) They may also find themselves wishing for that Druidic ritual, as the form of Druidry I practice doesn't mandate belief in any particular deity/deities and welcomes Christians, non-theists, Pagans, Jews, Mormons ... anyone, equally. ;)
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We've been admonished: "Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasar's and unto God what is God's." The worldly and the spiritual are two different spheres, and when we get them tangled up, it's the spiritual that suffers.
We also have obligations to our faith that might not be met if we have to give consideration to the state-- as we see by the restrictions placed on religious charities when they accept federal or state tax dollars.
And finally it comes down to fairness towards those who do not share our faith. In the past Christians have been a persecuted minority. And as you point out certain sects of Christianity are persecuted by other sects. This persecution has little to do with faith, and a lot to do with politics and culture. Is it fair for us to turn around and visit that persecution on others? I think not.
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