The Undeclared War in Our Country

There's an undeclared war going on in our country.

Anyone who has been reading the newspapers, reading the online news web sites, or watching the news on TV knows about it. Something concerning this undeclared war finds its way into the news nearly every week, sometimes as often as every day. Everyone reads about it, some of us shake our heads in disbelief that something like this could be going on in our country, but the vast majority of us read the article and promptly dismiss it, concerned more with which professional athlete got traded or with which celebrity is going to jail or getting divorced next. And the undeclared war continues, with new battles popping up all over our country on a regular basis.

The war of which I'm speaking, friends and neighbors, is the War On Religion - or, more accurately, the War On Christianity.

Stop and think for a minute just how many news stories you've heard of recently that have something to do with some group somewhere in our nation, or some person somewhere in our nation who is backed by some group like this, who have jumped up and cried, "I'm offended!" or who have filed a complaint and/or a lawsuit over the display of a cross, a Nativity, or even a Christmas tree. Seriously, stop for a moment and think about it.

Never realized there were that many, did you? And the funny thing is, the only religion you see being attacked - and I use that word intentionally - in such a manner is Christianity. The latest attack has taken place in New York City, where an atheist group purchased a billboard in which they said it's okay to keep Santa Claus and the "merry" in Christmas, but you should "drop the myth!" with these words being portrayed over a picture of Christ on the cross, wearing a crown of thorns.

I got news for these people - as the old saying goes, "JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON," not some fat old guy in a red suit giving out presents. But I digress...

Let me say a couple of things right up front. First and foremost, yes, I'm a Christian and believe in God and Jesus Christ. As any one of you who've been following my blog for the past few years knows I have a bit of a problem with the Old Testament, but I still believe in God and Jesus and therefore consider myself a Christian.

Second, I have ZERO problem with someone whose beliefs are different from mine. If you don't believe in God or any kind of religious diety, fine; if you believe in Buddha, fine; if you believe in Zen, that's fine, too. If you believe in Bucky the Dancing Mule, that's also fine with me. As long as it works for you, I really don't have a problem with that.

But when someone starts telling me that my belief is wrong, that it's "a myth," and that I can't display the symbols of my religion because it "offends" them or it's "unconstitutional," then THAT is the point at which it most certainly is NOT fine with me! I have a HUGE problem with that, and I think it's about time that the people of this nation who believe in God or Buddha or Zen or Bucky all stood up and told the atheists and other naysayers and nonbelievers out there to shut the hell up!

I find it very hard to believe that anyone could truly be "offended" by the display of a cross on a hilltop that has been placed there to honor the Christians who have given their lives in the service of our country. Actually, I find it very hard to believe that anyone could be offended by the display of a cross anywhere unless you're a friggin' vampire. THEN I could understand it, but now...nope, that just don't work for me. I'm no fan of Islam, but I don't get "offended" when I ride by a mosque and see the crescent moon on top of the spire. I don't like it, considering all of the death and destruction that's been done lately in the name of Allah and Islam, but "offended?" Nope, not one bit. I think that tired old line of "I'm offended!" is being used by people who live to be offended and will jump at any chance to be offended. These people spend most of their lives wanting things that they are too lazy to work for and have found that suing someone over the display of a Christian symbol because it "offends" them is a quick and easy way to a payday they don't deserve; either that, or they're envious of the success that others have had and want to get some of the riches for themselves and/or destroy some of that much-envied success along the way.

It's like this, people: if the sight of a cross or a Nativity scene offends you, then don't look at it!

As for the "unconstitutional" crap that comes up whenever a Nativity scene or a cross is displayed on property owned by some form of government, well, it's like this: that so-called "separation of church and state as defined by the Constitution" is the REAL myth. In the first place, it's the Bill of Rights and not the Constitution; in the second place, the First Amendment doesn't actually say that. The First Amendment says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Nowhere in there do you see ANYTHING mentioning in ANY WAY the separation of church and state. The phrase "wall of separation between the church and the state" was originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists on January 1, 1802. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists, and so he told them that this wall had been erected to protect them. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not to keep the church out of the state's business. ("Allabouthistory.com, separation of church and state.") But as anyone can plainly see, the First Amendment does not mention it at all.

So how did this myth of "separation of church and state" get started? Well, my educated guess is that some liberal bleeding-heart judge came to this ill-advised and misguided conclusion when he was hearing what was most likely the very first lawsuit to use this claim as to why the religious symbol should be removed. In any event, he/she was wrong then, it's wrong now, and it will continue to be wrong until some conservative judge issues a judgement stating just that.

But I ain't holding my breath.

In the mean time, the atheists and non-believers out there all need to realize a few things. They need to realize that this country was founded by people who were fleeing religious persecution, and what they're doing now in this day and age is just that - religious persecution. Those of us who believe in Christ and choose to display our symbols are being attacked and persecuted for our beliefs, and that's wrong.

They also need to realize that, while our nation's religious beliefs have evolved and broadened due to the Constitutionally-protected right of religious freedom, whether they like it or not our entire country was founded on Christian beliefs and principles. To collectively turn our backs as a nation on one of the founding principles of our country, that of religious freedom, is the first step on the road to self-destruction. And from the looks of things, we're well along that road.

The other thing the atheists and non-believers need to realize is that we have just as much right to believe and display our symbols as they have NOT to believe and NOT display any symbols. (Then again, if you don't believe in any religion you don't have anything to display...maybe a necklace with a big "0" on it?) But the fact is that to tell a Christian that he can't display a cross, to tell a Jew that he can't display a menorah, to tell a Buddhist that he can't display a statue is just plain WRONG, and NO ONE has the right to tell us otherwise.

I, for one, am damned sick and tired of the atheists and non-believers telling me what I can and can't do concerning my religion. I think it's well past time for those of us who have religious beliefs, especially Christians, to stop turning the other cheek and tell the atheists and non-believers to go pound sand up their asses and leave those of us who DO believe the hell alone.

But that's just me. And I'm damned proud of it.

IHC