What happened to seperation of church and state?

I am sure that unless you have become a hermit, you will have heard about Indiana’s “Freedom of religion” act. A poorly written, in the best of terms, and a license for hate in the worst of terms, document.

I grew up in an age and place when times were greatly changing. It was about race and women’s rights at that time, more than religion, but fighting over religion has been going on since written history. People talk about Christian values, but many do not demonstrate Christian values. Let’s take a minute here and think about religion and law and its’ history, shall we? The Spanish Inquisition is an epic example and an epic fail.
The goal was to maintain Spanish Catholic Orthodoxy .There was also the less “famous” Christian Inquisition, Portuguese Inquisition and Roman Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition began as a way to force Jews and Muslims to convert or leave Spain, and spread beyond that already hateful goal. Over 150,000 people were charged with crimes and tortured, up to 5,000 died during torture or were sentanced to death, all because they didn’t have the same religion.

When governing bodies try to force religion on the people, someone always suffers. It never has turned out to be a successful or “good” thing in any way. It has happened in every country. People jailed , tortured, killed, all in the name of religion. It is why we have a split Ireland, and Jerusalem, it is why we had a Holocaust, it is why we had the Spanish Inquisition, it is why England had “priest holes” to hide clergy. Millions died during the Holocaust, and they weren’t all Jews.

There should never be laws defining religious actions in governments or courts. It never turns out well. The simple fact is that in the US today, if you look around you , you will see several types of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Taoists, Buddhists, Wiccans, and more. Who gets to have the final word? The Christians seem to believe it should be them, and want to force their beliefs into the state affairs. It doesn’t work in Isreal, it won’t work in the US.

We have religious freedom guaranteed to us in the Constitution. We also have separation of church and state. Neither should be messing in the business of the other.

The Governor of Indiana tried to sneak through a law that is an open door for discrimination. It’s language and structure is completely different than any “freedom of religion” law ever. Many uninformed say it is “just like” other laws in other states. It is not, it is unique unto itself. The loudest and strongest groups to oppose the law have been the well organized LGBT community. This is not however just about gays. You could be refused service by a small business owner in Indiana because his Christian beliefs do not agree with you being in a mixed race marriage, not being married, but living with someone, being on birth control, having had an abortion….any information about you that they know, “can and will be held against you”.

There are still Neanderthals out there who hate the Lesbians and Gays, they believe the LGBT community made this choice and don’t care about God. I grew up around MANY Gay men, and they have no problem with God. They believe or don’t on the same average as straight men do. Gays are not unholy, prejudicial idiots who hide behind the Bible and use it to defend hate are the unholy, that would be The Westboro Church!

I was taught to NEVER hate another just because they were different. I learned that a long time ago. I also learned to speak up and never allow hate and discrimination, even if people try to make it look like that is their religious right.

The Governor of Indiana thought he was smarter than everyone else. He wasn’t. He wasn’t even close. He tried to slip something by folks because it had a nice little title on it…”freedom of religion”, he was acting like he was giving us something but we already had it! I do not, and will not tolerate ANY race, religions, sexual orientation, to be discriminated against. I am just one voice, but there are many people who are smarter and more successful that Governor Pence that also have the same non tolerant belief. They know that such laws will result in discrimination. They know that the law protects no one. They know that it was a backlash against allowing same gender marriage in Indiana.

Religion sparks such hatred in people. What does it matter that two people of the same sex marry? It doesn’t cost you or the state a penny. It does not effect your life in any way. Being against same sex marriages is just being hateful. Period. You can spout what you THINK God wants, but rest assured, God made Gays and Lesbians too.

Stop being hateful.
Be smart READ the laws, not the headlines.

Thank you to all the companies, religious institutions, politicians, entertainers, organized sports, schools, and well informed people of the United States, that know when the wool is being pulled over their eyes and have the courage to not only speak up about it , but pull their business out of such a hateful state. It is a shame that the only thing that gets politicians attention is money, but that’s a rant for another day.

True religion teaches us to hate no one. That is in EVERY religion on this planet, so if you think yours gives you permission to hate and discriminate against anyone, you best start back over in Sunday School before it’s too late.

We are all different, celebrate that difference, becasue when you don’t, you are not religious, holy, spiritual, or even a nice person  to be around…..you are a Hater, and one who WILL have to answer for that when you end this Earthwalk.

Be part of the world, not the world’s problems.

NAMASTE!

(C)2015 TripleMoonGoddessGina