The Religious Debate

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THE RELIGIOUS DEBATE
By Genevieve Salem

We are not a Christian government, however lately it seems as if many of the policies President Bush enacts revolve around his strong Christian religious faith. There are many who let their religious values and moralities interfere with the operations of the government. One of the bases this country was founded on was the freedom to exercise any religion and just as important, the separation of Church and State.

Recently, a display of the 10 Commandments in a public courthouse in Texas sparked controversy, and the case was taken to the Supreme Court. Whether or not it should be left there has been and continues to be passionately debated. Yes, Christianity is a big part of the history of this country, and the majority of Americans are Christian. Furthermore, the word God appears on our money, and it is in the pledge of allegiance. George T. Mason, a guest commentator of the Daily Times said, “We are a secular nation with a secular government that supports religious freedom. Most citizens are generally Christian, hence the desire by many to wear the Christian nation moniker is easily understood.”

A federal courthouse is certainly not the place to promote religion, as it is a place of governmental authority. Courthouses are supposed to be places where we learn the law that governs our country, and not places to learn the laws of a certain religion. An anonymous person published in the Daily Times said, “Having important pieces of history displayed in public places does not affect the ability of those who carry out the law to do their jobs.” What purpose do the Ten Commandments have in such a place if not all of us choose to live by that set of religious rules? The 10 Commandments are not the law of the United States government.

The opposition may argue that we need to display our nation’s history for our posterity. In addition, many religious symbols are already in place in our monuments, on our currency, and in our pledge.

However, the existence of these symbols does not merit the extension of the status quo. This anonymous writer went on to say, “To remove the Ten Commandments would be an attempt to erase our roots.” We should leave this display of the 10 commandments in the courthouse out of respect to the preservation of this country? Why not respect the people that are in this country now and that are not Christian and those that choose not to follow the ten commandments as their law? Why not respect those that want to learn and have a clear understanding about the laws that run this country? If you want to teach religion, then go to a church, go to a religious school, or take religious classes.

People take what they want out of religion; just because someone is Catholic doesn’t mean that they’re anti-choice and doesn’t mean that they’re against gay marriage. Just because someone is Christian or Jewish doesn’t mean that they’re automatically going to choose to go by the Ten Commandments, and simply because someone doesn’t practice a religion doesn’t mean that they don’t have values and a sense of morality.

We all have our own set of values and personal beliefs that influence our decisions. Government’s role should not be to rub Christianity in people’s faces, let alone any type of religion. There are some who believe that every word in the Bible is true, and there are others who believe that the Bible is full of uncertainties and hypocrisy. Overall, however, the Bible is open for interpretation, and whether or not we decide to go by the beliefs and rules that are set in it is everyone’s own personal decision.