Remember, It's also freedom FROM religion

I am a practicing Christian. I am also a person who respects the faiths and practices of others. When I hear people call me a secularist because I support the separation of church and state I get really steamed. Let us not forget that the founding fathers had come to this place to be free of being told how to practice their faith.In some cases they had been prevented by "the majority" from practicing their "minority" version of Christianity. When we allow state institutions (schools are a part of government) to establish prayer "formats" or to offer a particular form of worship as part of the daily routines we include the faith of some and exclude the faith of others. I suppose one would would be satisfied if your particular brand of worship is included in the officially sanctioned faith practice. What about those who are not in the "majority"? The true test of real democracies is how the rights of the minorities are protected. Americas founders had been at times forced to pay for the Church of England and put up with its status as the established religion in various colonies whether or not they were members of the church. To protect it citizens from the unfairness of imposed religious financial or political support of a church that was not their own, the framers of our constitution put in place the rights we still have today. The freedom FOR religion is also a freedom FROM the religions of others forced upon the unwilling or those of differing beliefs. I'm sure the 10 million or so Muslims in this country would not be particularly thrilled to be forced to "Pray in the Name of Jesus." Thanks to Jefferson and the authors of the constitution, they don't have to.

Just because I believe in the rights of others to be protected from imposed beliefs of a faith not their own does not additionally mean that I don't believe in or want a moral society. I resent the implication. Of course I want a society that cares about the rule of law and ethical practice. Conversely, I am proud to live in a land where the rights of minority peoples to practice their faith without majority pressure and intimidation are constitutionally protected. I am a Christian. Though the majority in this country shares my faith, a significant portion of our people do not. It is their right to not practice as I do. When any governmental agency or statute insists that they should it MUST be resisted. Interference in the faith of the minority is what freedom FROM religion (imposed by the government) is about. Freedom of religion is about about creating a place where differences can be accepted. Freedom FROM imposed religion allows that space to be created. Is that secularist? NO. It is in the tradition of accepting those who are different from us (tax collectors, Samaritans, etc.). Allowing people their own way to God is the most American and the most Christian thing we could and must all do.