I have pondered this for a long time. This may get pulled. I find I can no longer keep my beliefs under wraps.
To me religion and church are two separate things. Religion being a very personal and private matter, each individual having a different religion than anyone else. Religion is a set of beliefs that we follow that allows us to exist in this world. The beliefs each one of carries is more than just church beliefs. It involves church, community, family, just a set of beliefs that allows us to survive. No two people are the same so no two sets of beliefs or religion can be the same. Everyone is free to have beliefs that work for them as long as they do not hurt anyone.
Religion is mostly thought of as believing in a higher power. The problem with this is what about the people that do not believe this way. Do we just forget about them?? I say no. They are as important as I am, they are as important as you. No more, no less. So looking at religion a little different than normal it would cover everyone. Just a set of beliefs to cover all aspects of life.
Church being a rigid organization controlling beliefs.
What I have found is that there is a church that is trying to interfere with my beliefs. They are trying to influence legislation that bears on my constitutional rights. The separation of church and state. They are free to believe as they wish and I am free to believe as I wish. When they try to tell me how to live, who to love, how to love, what kind of health care I should receive, what I can or not do with my body, then I really get mad and I draw the line.
Marriage is a civil matter, bodies are a civil matter, health care is a civil matter. Churches need to stay out of civil matters. Their job is to save souls. Any elected government official that puts church above the people is in violation of the Constitution. This country is for all the people, not churches. By putting churches above the people is in violation of the oath you took to uphold the Constitution. This also applies to churches of this country also.
There is a foreign city, a foreign state, a foreign government trying to influence legislation in this country. This effects my life and the people that are in my life. It is time for this to stop. I look at it as an invasion. An invasion is a act of war. How can a foreign government be allowed to legislate to us??
I am ready to put my beliefs up against the Roman Catholic Church and their beliefs. They have declared war on the United States of America by their attempt to subvert the Constitution of the United States. I will no longer be silent. It is time to be heard and make them accountable.
Religion and beliefs have a place in government. Churches do not. Government is a civil matter and has nothing to do with a church belief. The founding fathers saw this when they wrote the Constitution. They saw how England and France were as church had a hand in government. They wanted no part of it. They saw the dangers.
The people that say that this country was founded on god are wrong. It was not. This country was founded with the belief that people were free to worship and believe as they wished with no infringement on another. They were free to live as they wished with no harm to others. The Roman Catholic Church is infringing on my rights. It is time for it to stop.
Angry Dragon ........ I will continue this fight until they back off.
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20091020... http://jonathanturley.org/2009/11/12/catholic-church-in... /
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/13/catholi...