Religious Freedom is Not Majority Rules.

I recently commented on the Freedom From Religion Foundation's facebook page the following;

"Should we be subjected to Christmas music at the Post Office while we wait in line a half hour? Isn't it a government office? Am I just being a whiner if I complain about my kid having to sing religious songs at a Christmas Concert at a Public High School? (Boiling Springs, South Carolina USPS and Boiling Springs High School). Sometimes I really hate living in the Bible Belt Buckle!"

Being the page it was, all following posts were essentially in agreement.

My next post, after someone said the kids could say they did not want to participate and songs about Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer that didn't promote Christianity and such were okay, was;

"My child is a Christian and sees nothing wrong with it. I am an Agnostic Atheist. Should the kid who is an Atheist, Jew, Buddhist, Muslim, etc be put in a situation where they have to ostracize themselves and be the bad guy and say I don't want to sing that? NO!

The radio station markets itself as "The Christmas Station" from late October through Christmas. They are singing about Jesus whether it is White Christmas or Little Drummer Boy. If it is a Christmas song, it is based on the Christian religion, plain and simple.

They shouldn't even be using the watered down, PC "Happy Holidays". Its not just Christians and Jews using government facilities. Not everyone has holidays around this time of year, nor should they be made to feel inclined to do so."

Why do Believers not get it? If they were displaced and their religion was no longer a majority, I think they would feel vastly different about it!

When I was in the Army National Guard on our drill weekends we were required to muster (gather) at the Chow Hall (cafeteria) all together and the head cook would say a Christian Prayer before we were allowed to get our food and eat. I was a mild Agnostic at the time, but still felt we were violating the very Constitution we were supposed to be protecting. I went to our Commanding Officer, Captain Homer Simpson (Yes, believe it or not!) and protested. He said that if I did not want to participate, I could wait outside and come in when everyone was done praying. I said, so if I don't wish to participate in prayer, I get to eat last? Frustrated, he said, Okay, you can wait outside, and when we are done, we will all go outside and come back in together. I said, so I get to be first, since I am waiting by the door. Clearly uncomfortable, he asked me what I wanted him to do. I said abide by the Constitution. If people want to pray silently by themselves or in small groups, it is up to them. No mandatory attendance or organizational prayers. He conceded, but I never got another promotion and I've wondered if I would have suffered from "friendly fire" had I still been attached to them when they redeployed to Iraq.

Religion creates more separatism and tribalism than it does unity and brotherhood.