We all know the story of Thanksgiving; Once upon a time, a group of Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Massachusetts and made friends with the local Native Americans and they feasted. And thus, the pilgrims were able to survive the winter with the help of their new friends and they all lived happily ever after (yeah, sure).
But, especially since Thanksgiving is soon approaching, there is a huge chunk of this story we often forget. Why were the Pilgrims in Plymouth in the first place? Let's remember: the Pilgrims were a group of Separatist Puritans on the run from religious discrimination in England. One of the very first settlements in America was founded for religious purposes. And it wasn't alone: Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams for religious freedom, along with Thomas Hooker in Connecticut. The state of Maryland was founded by Lord Baltimore for the sole purpose of giving Catholics a place to live (thus Mary-land, after good ol' Mama Mary).
Religious freedom is a HUGE part of America's identity, to this day. Our money is labeled with "one nation under God", most schools have off for religious holidays, and we have an entire Amendment dedicated to upholding religious freedoms. However, we also love the phrase "Separation of Church and State". In a country that is SO rooted in religious freedoms, will this ever be possible?
There are some who believe no; Republican Presidential Nominees such as Ted Cruz brought their Christianity into their speeches and future plans.
(although Cardinal Timothy Dolan may disagree)
There are some who say yes; In the abortion argument, many Pro-Life-ers bring in religious arguments, to which Pro-Choice-ers remind them that the government should not be making laws based on religion.
But at the end of the day, one thing is clear: America was founded, at least in part, for religious freedom. Can a country founded in such a way really strip itself of its identity? Only time will tell. For now, it seems like the division between Church and State is getting wider, for better or for worse.
First of all, I love your voice in this piece, and the memes are just hilarious. I also question what the balance is between restricting religious freedoms and excluding religion from the public sphere. I think religious individuals, and even the church, has a role in public dialogue, because religion does act as a motivation for many, but religious people have to be able to translate their views into secular terms to convince others who have a different viewpoint to their position.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up such an interesting topic, and one that does not have a definitive answer. I wonder too, whether our country has not already stripped itself (at least in terms of culture) of any religious identity. I think the separation of Church and State is extremely important, but at the same time religious liberties must be upheld. It will be interesting to see how it balances out over time.
ReplyDeleteI love the history you brought into the argument! Easily many people forget why America was started, and why so many came to America: for religious freedom. There is a delicate line that separates the crossing over of Church and State too much and just enough. Everyone has different opinions, and at the same time many people can be right about how much it should be mixed. I think looking back into our history might led more answers than fighting will get us.
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