Sunday, September 30, 2012
Tolerance
I know a lot of religious people. They possess strong faith and it forms a
major portion of their lives. They also,
however, seem to keep their faith a private matter, and although they are not
hesitant to discuss it, none of them try to proselytize or convert others. How they filter their professional and
personal decision making through the lens of their beliefs is kept to
themselves. I will say that I have never
sat at a meeting and heard anyone ask “What dispo would Jesus offer?”
My friends accept that
I don’t share their faith, and while they occasionally shake their heads at me,
and perhaps even offer a prayer for me, I think they respect me for who I am,
even though many probably believe I am destined for eternal damnation.
I fear this attitude is not universally held among Americans
with strong religious faith. Thousands
rallied in Philadelphia yesterday at “The America for Jesus 2012” prayer rally,
according to the Associated Press.
Broadcaster Pat Robertson proclaimed, apparently to wide support, that
“This nation belongs to Jesus, and we’re here today to reclaim his
sovereignty.”
Come again? Robertson
believes all of America, the entire 50 states, and all 300 million plus of us
“belong” to Jesus? Or is he saying that
the assets and resources of America belong to Jesus. In other words, that those who do not accept
Jesus are somehow either not part of America or not entitled to share in
America’s wealth?
Perhaps he was being metaphorical, meaning that he believes
the American people are predominantly composed of those who accept Jesus as
God. Still, how does that mean he views
those who do not share that belief? One
could take it to mean that we are not part of his America.
His further statement is more confusing and troubling, that all
those thousands rallied to reclaim Jesus’s sovereignty. I am pretty sure we have never had a
sovereign in America, even metaphorically.
And certainly while there were many periods and places in history where
conservative Christians held sway, I don’t believe at any time did people proclaim
Jesus as king of America.
Millions of people came to this country, pretty much from the
time of its founding, seeking religious freedom and tolerance. Certainly many sects came which practiced
some level of intolerance in their communities, but very few people have ever
viewed America as a place where only a single religious belief was
accepted.
I am pretty sure the Founding Fathers did not view America as
belonging to any one religion, and I am positive that they adamantly opposed
any sovereigns. Whether the Constitution
enacted a firm wall between church and state is somewhat open to debate, but
that it dictates that no religion predominates and others must be accepted,
cannot be disputed.
My ancestors came here in response to a promise that America
offered opportunities unavailable to Jews in Europe. I am sure they understood that most Americans
were members of different religions, but I think they believed that should they
work hard, follow the laws, avoid offense, and, to a certain extent swallow
some anti-Semitic prejudice, that America would accept them. And when my father and his generation, born
in America, achieved the America dream, they felt that they belonged here. I certainly feel that I do.
Robertson’s comments, as reported, can be seen more as
rhetoric than literal interpretation of American life. Perhaps he was merely rallying people to
accept the tenets of his religion, and his belief that following those
teachings will create a better society.
Other speakers, however, come across as less tolerant and more ridiculous.
“[S]peaker CindyJacobs has blamed a mysterious Arkansas bird-kill last year on Obama’s repeal
of the policy know as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ which allows gays and lesbians
to serve openly in the military.”
Do people really believe this stuff? If God has such a problem with gay members of
the military, why not kill them directly?
Why should God work in such obtuse ways?
I don’t mean to denigrate Cindy’s religion, just her
statement. Lots of disasters befall the
world every day. Any of them could be
blamed on God’s displeasure with what people are doing. The dinosaurs were wiped out by a meteor,
perhaps they pissed God off, too. (I
know of no fossil evidence of dinosaur homosexuality.)
The lives of many people around the world have been ruined and
lost over religious intolerance.
Religious factionalism dominates the politics of much of the world, and
is the number one reason a world war is never far away. As Americans we need to accept that others’
beliefs are different than our own, but that all of belong to a single nation,
subject to no one belief or sovereign.
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