So I live in a neighborhood that is one of the most culturally diverse ones that I have ever lived in before. Of course given the fact that I am from the Deep, Deep, Deep South, that's prolly not saying much. We got people from England, Russia, all over the Middle East, all parts of Africa and who knows where else living in a fairly close area. It is truly interesting and inspiring.
One of our neighbors is Muslim and performs his daily prayers in the morning and in the afternoon from the deck behind his townhouse. I generally hear him when I go out in the afternoons to go to work and actually enjoy listening to his prayers for a few seconds before I get in my car.
So yesterday as I was leaving for work, he was out giving his prayers and the elderly couple from across the parking lot were standing in front of my house (for some strange reason not in front of their own house) and they were staring in the direction of the gentleman praying. The woman said, “I don't like that. He shouldn't be doing that.” The man replied with a nod, “I am going to complain about it. He doesn't have the right to do that.”
Now folks, keep in mind what this old White dude just said. “He doesn't have the right to do that.” That statement should scare the living crap out of you. An American (Presumably anyways) stated that another American (confirmed, I have spoken to the gentleman before) stated arrogantly did not have the right to practice his religion. Can you grasp how fundamentally (Pun intended. Get it?) FUGGED up that is?
I see a lot of that these days. People who have the attitude that their faith is the only one covered under the 1st Amendment. They feel that they have the right to say, “Well I don't like your religion (or lack there of in the case of Atheists) so you don't have the right to practice it.” An even larger group seems to have the attitude of “Well, you can practice your faith, but not where I can see it or hear it.” (Huh Same Sex relationships and Religion...whodathunk it?)
Folks, that ain't the way it works. That's not the way any of this works. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” (Sorry apparently its a bold/italic kind of day.)
A follower of Islam has the exact same right to worship as a follower of that carpenter guy...Jessie...Josie...err somfin or another. They can stand on their porch belting out prayers to their hearts content and there is nothing you can do about it. If you find the sound annoying, go inside or go for a walk until they are done. I personally find the prayers a lot less annoying then the loud, canned Christian music blaring out from loudspeakers every hour on the hour from churches. When you can hear that crap from 8 blocks away, it is too danged loud. Just saying.
The almost overwhelming attitude among a lot of “Christians” today is that only Christianity is covered under the 1st Amendment. Well, Christianity and Judaism since they kind of use parts of the same rule book. Atheists are actually banned from holding public office in many Red States and many of our so called leaders push for laws that prevent Muslims from holding any sort of office, including POTUS and SCOTUS. They want Christian Law to be the ONLY law of the land. (Sharia Law West anybody?)
Before the US of A was even...well the the US of A, it was built on the very foundation of Religious Freedom. People came here so that they could live, love and worship however they please without fear of persecution or punishment. When this country was founded, the wise men who forged it saw the evils of a “State Religion” and made sure that no one religion would ever be the only recognized one. At least three of the Founding Fathers weren't even Christian and of the remaining ones, the diversity in Christian Denomination was mind boggling. So the idea that people today want to limit the religious rights of others while forcing their own beliefs onto everyone is about as UnAmerican as Borscht (The mind boggles over the fact I spelled Borscht correctly the first time. Must have been channeling Donald Trump's Same Sex Lover, Putin.)
What it boils down to is something very simple. You don't have to like someone else's faith. You don't have to take their faith seriously. You are even allowed to think that their faith is stupid and even evil. You are not allowed to ban their faith. You are not allowed to stop them from publicly practicing their faith. So the next time you or anyone thinks or says, “They don't have the right,” I have one bit of advice. Suck it up, Buttercup! (Wow, bold, italics, underlined AND a bigger font.)
End of Rant.
End of Rant.
