Freedom of religion and separation of church and state seem to be large issues these days. Should freedom of religion mean freedom “from” religion? We’ve just had an airline pilot try to convert several of his passengers.
Personally, I think this is inapropriate. The passengers had no place to go, and were hence subjected to it against their will without the benefit of the choice to leave. Did it harm anyone? no. Did it perhaps irritate some? sure, I have no doubt of that. Aside from which, making “converts” like that is flawed. My seminary counselor always said, “want to convert someone? be such a good person that they want desperately to be like you”

Outside the confines of an airplane, and beyond the concept of forcing your beliefs on someone, there should be room in this country for anyone’s beliefs, as long as those beliefs don’t hold that the creator of the universe requires human sacrifice, or religion based discrimination.

I think this is the aim of our founding fathers in separating church and state. I do not think that there was ever an intention that there be no place in America for God. I think the founding fathers intended for us to be able to separate our emotions and our logic; to be able to establish rules that perhaps contravened the tenets of some religions, and to hold those rules as the law of the land, regardless of what an individual theological philosophy might say.

An example of this, is the death penalty. At the core of many theologies is the concept that taking a life is wrong, however, there are circumstances during which the death of an individual benefits the whole. Sometimes removing a damaged person permanently from the populous is the only safe option for all.
Separation of church and state permits this, among other things.

Pardon the tangent. Where I’m going with this, is that “freedom of religion” should not mean “freedom from religion”. The ten commandments in a courtroom should offend nobody. Anyone who is offended, as far as I’m concerned, fuck ’em. Ignore the tablets. Look at something else. if there’s a menorah on the courthouse lawn, and you don’t like it? don’t look at it. Your hotel room has a crucifix above the bed? Deal with it. Or move. But sanitizing the country of any trace of any theology is wrong. We need the constant reminder that we are here by the grace of our creator; if you don’t believe in a creator, it harms you not, and saying that it does is patent nonsense.

Postscript: My dear friend Jenny reminds me that freedom from religion should exist, and in the circumstances she states, I agree, in fact it proves my point: There should be no difficulty with having the ten commandments in a courtroom. Or a menora. Or the Code of Hammurabi. Or a picture of your aunt Kate.

The Point being, if you’re in that courtroom, NOBODY has any business shoving that menorah, or ten commandments, or code of Hammurabi down your throat. And that goes double for outside the courtroom; You want to tell me or one of my family members we’re going to hell because we’re not baptists? Go ahead. I’ll personally introduce you to hell myself. You want to discriminate against me and my business and shun and despise my family and friends because you are a calvinist and I’m not? Well, lemme splain something to you: Get very used to the idea of hell. There is room in my world for you to believe whatever you want. There is NOT room for you to attempt to impose your beliefs on me, no matter what they are. The Ten Commandments plaque, the picture of Aunt Kate, they are ornaments, pure and simple. They should be allowed in any public space as reminders of the things they represent; they should NOT be there to let you know, “hey, if you’re not such-and-such religion, you’re gonna get fucked here”. Because you have “accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior” does not prevent you from being an asshole. It should, but it does not.

Oh, by the way? If I’m going to hell in your Jack Chick world, I can sleep soundly in the knowledge that I want to spend eternity far away from you. Either way, it’s not your business.