In Ahlahaha We Trust

When the Plymouth Brethren came to America they just wanted to be left the Frig alone. They had their way of worshiping and that is how they wanted to do it. This sentiment made it into the founding doctrines of our country. The most misunderstood is the separation of church and state. It is now believed that anything having to do with religion in public schools, governmental buildings our state colleges cannot be tolerated.



This view of the separation of church and state is complete crap and for the final time I will tell you why. In Europe and England there were state mandated religions, so in our new republic the founding fathers set up a barrier to inhibit government mandating a certain religion. Mainly, they were concerned with Catholicism, Calvinism or Lutheranism being mandated. Many of the founding fathers were Deists so in the technical sense not even Christian, but they were well aware of what could happen if the titular head of the government was also the grand poohbah of the state mandated religion. They had 1700 years of history to bear out the holocaust that could occur.



Now we are facing a religious holocaust brought on by those who want to be tolerant of a religion that has sects that are extremely intolerant. It is now in vogue to celebrate Ramadan in our public schools as an exercise in world culture and tolerance. This pig scheist is in direct contradiction of the incorrect version of the separation of church and state. If the incorrect version of the separation of church and state is to be enforced, Ramadan, nor other Islamic teachings should be allowed to be discussed in public schools. Why this is happening may be because of the perceived backlash of anti-Arabic/Muslim sentiments after 9/11. Nonetheless, the rule of law must be upheld, even if it is incorrectly enforced.

A more enlightened and multicultural approach would to spend two semesters on all world religions, INCLUDING CHRISTIANITY! As a student of comparative religions I have found that while the mythos may differ, most of the precepts of law and treatment of mankind are very similar. Even many of the martyrs of the Christos' are strikingly similar. Witness the crucifixion of Krishna from Hindu fame and that of Jesus Christ. While separated by thousands of years the allegory of the sacrifice of one for the providence of the many resonates today. Witness, the Hari Krishna's mobbing one at the airport and the Jehovah Witnesses mobbing one at ones house.

If we are not going to enforce the separation of church and state as originally intended can we at least do away with the religious bigotry of the educational politicos. More importantly, besides the tolerance one would learn from the study of world religions, perhaps many of our children would find peace and enlightenment in a particular religion. This may result in a reduction of drug abuse, abortions, teen violence and the basic ennui of most teens of generations of all ages.

This essay was not to be meant as a slam on Islam, at least the peaceful adherents of Islam, but rather the closed minded school administrators whose idea of thinking out of the box is trying on the new pair of Nike Shox.