Burgess: Religious freedom is who we are – Chillicothe Gazette

Jack Burgess| Correspondent

We Americans have always traced our history back to the Pilgrims, who left England to escape religious persecution.Actually, they first moved to Holland, where they had religious freedom, but couldnt make a living, so they came to America to make a better living and, they hoped, convert the Indians to their church.Religious persecution in Europe had many extremes, including, in 1431, burning at the stake 19-year-oldJoan of Arc whod led French armies to drive the English out of France--for the crime of wearing mens clothes!

The Roman Catholic Church, which dominated most of Europe and parts of Africa, South and Central America, had an Inquisition to root out non-believers, especially Jews and followers of Islam. Thousands were executed. Catholicism came here first with Spanish settlement in Florida and Louisiana. Then came Protestant New Englands witch trials, persecution, and torture even to death of people who didnt agree with the newly established religion.Rhode Island was settled by Roger Williams fleeing those religious extremes and advocating a wall of separation between church and state. .

So it was a big deal when Americas founding liberals, Madison, Jefferson, and others, in 1790 insisted on a Bill of Rights for US citizens, which included religious freedombefore they would ratify the new Constitution.The very first words of the very first Amendment says, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

But isnt that what weve done when we tell women they must, under penalty of law, carry every pregnancy to term? Even if theyre just a child themselves? Or raped? Theres no medical reason for it.In fact, far more women die in childbirth than by legal abortionunlike abortions done in various, sometimes horrible, ways when legal care is not allowed.

And religious folks who claim they oppose abortion for a right to life, often dont oppose wars, where millions of innocent people die.Nor do they oppose capital punishment, though its clear ones race, income, or home area are predictors of whether theyll be killed by the state.

The Judeo-Christian Bible says God commanded that we be fruitful and multiply, but that was thousands of years ago. We certainly dont have a shortage of people in the US or the world the population of the earth and of the US have doubled in just my lifetime. The Bible also says the first woman was created out of the mans rib. Do members of our Supreme Court believe that? Are we going to be forced to teach that in school?

I guess the problem is that some folks believe the soul, starts at conception, so that would make the tiny resulting zygote a complete human, soul-wise. But millions of Americans dont believe that idea, and it cant be tested or proven. So clearly were establishing a church when we tell a woman and her doctor theyll go to jail if they terminate the zygote.

Nothing is more important to our culture, our success as a nation, than our freedom of and from religion. Thats why it became the very first amendment. The founders knew well about the wars, persecutions, etc. and they wanted to avoid all that and build a UNITED states.Letting religious views dominate our laws and our courts is a sure way to dis-unite us. Isnt it time we went back to respecting our religious differences?

Religious freedom is who we are.Or at least what we aspire to and have to achieve if we want a UNITED States in America.

Jack Burgess is a retired teacher of American & Global Studies, and a practitioner of religious freedom, having attended services with various Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist, Hindu, Universalist, Humanist, & American Indiangroups.

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Burgess: Religious freedom is who we are - Chillicothe Gazette