I know I'm something of an idealist as an American citizen, but, speaking as one, I'm wondering what would happen if appropriate and seriously religious people got together and really got down to brass tacks concerning their religion and our American way of life. I'm imagining people of all Faiths willing to be as serious about their citizenship in America as those young men and women are who go off to fight wars to protect our way of life. If this were to be true, it might show up as something like the following.
What if Americans who say they follow the Christian Faith opened a major national web-site on which they presented the following positions on things in America today.....
One___On the eleventh of September 2001 nineteen people who believed they had a religious mandate to fly planes into buildings and slaughter thousands of innocent people did just that in a despicable manner. We condemn those people and their actions based on our own religious beliefs and we declare that what they did was nothing more than mass murder under the name of a false and perverted religion as have other similar acts been when perpetrated by other religions throughout history.
Two___We stand opposed to such violence and will lead out in rallying against it and will demand that any action of that nature done by anyone calling themselves Christians will be confronted by the truth as revealed in our sacred book, the Bible, and will call upon anyone who names Christ as their Lord to put away hatred and violence as part of their life. This pertains to any violence that is perpetrated on the basis of religion, race, creed or gender.
Three__We join hands in praying for the leaders of our nation and join with all Americans in respecting the rule of law in our society. While we hold our Faith to be foremost in our minds and hearts, we recognize that civil law is the guide to our pluralistic society and we do not demand that our government be guided by our beliefs. We do however, desire the government to protect a citizens right to practice or not practice, their own faith or non-faith, whichever the case may be, without fear of reprisal.
Four___We stand with all Americans in holding that our nation is founded upon natural law and our beloved constitution which recognizes that certain unalienable rights are held by all American citizens without regard to status, race, gender, or religion. We further commit that no person, religion, political party, or system that could be established will ever be allowed to deny those unalienable rights to any American citizen.
What if Americans who say they follow the Jewish Faith opened a major national web-site on which they presented these positions on things in America today.....
One___On the eleventh of September 2001 nineteen people who believed they had a religious mandate to fly planes into buildings and slaughter thousands of innocent people did just that in a despicable manner. We condemn those people and their actions based on our own religious beliefs and we declare that what they did was nothing more than mass murder under the name of a false and perverted religion as have other similar acts been when perpetrated by other religions throughout history.
Two___We stand opposed to such violence and will lead out in rallying against it and will demand that any action done of that nature done by anyone calling themselves Jews will be confronted by the truth as revealed in our sacred book, the Torah, and will call upon anyone who names Yahweh as their God to put away hatred and violence as part of their life. This pertains to any violence that is perpetrated on the basis of religion, race, creed or gender.
Three__We join hands in praying for the leaders of our nation and join with all Americans in respecting the rule of law in our society. While we hold our Faith to be foremost in our minds and hearts, we recognize that civil law is the guide to our pluralistic society and we do not demand that our government be guided by our beliefs. We do however, desire the government to protect a citizens right to practice or not practice, their own faith or non-faith, whichever the case may be, without fear of reprisal.
Four___We stand with all Americans in holding that our nation is founded upon natural law and our beloved constitution which recognizes certain unalienable rights that are held by all American citizens without regard to status, race, gender, or religion. We further commit that no person, religion, political party, or system that could be established will ever be allowed to deny those unalienable rights to any American citizen.
What if Americans who say they follow the Islamic Faith opened a major national web-site on which they presented these positions on things in America today.....
One___On the eleventh of September 2001 nineteen people who believed they had a religious mandate to fly planes into buildings and slaughter thousands of innocent people did just that in a despicable manner. We condemn those people and their actions based on our own religious beliefs and we declare that what they did was nothing more than mass murder under the name of a false and perverted religion as have other similar acts been when perpetrated by other religions throughout history.
Two___We stand opposed to such violence and will lead out in rallying against it and will demand that any action done of that nature done by anyone calling themselves followers of Islam will be confronted by the truth as revealed in our sacred book, the Koran, and will call upon anyone who names Mohammad as their Prophet to put away hatred and violence as part of their life. This pertains to any violence that is perpetrated on the basis of religion, race, creed or gender.
Three__We join hands in praying for the leaders of our nation and join with all Americans in respecting the rule of law in our society. While we hold our Faith to be foremost in our minds and hearts, we recognize that civil law is the guide to our pluralistic society and we do not demand that our government be guided by our beliefs. We do however, desire the government to protect a citizens right to practice or not practice, their own faith or non-faith, whichever the case may be, without fear of reprisal.
Four___We stand with all Americans in holding that our nation is founded upon natural law that recognizes certain unalienable rights that are held by all American citizens without regard to status, race, gender, or religion. We further commit that no person, religion, political party, or system that could be established will ever be allowed to deny those unalienable rights to any American citizen.
What if...?
I admitted I'm idealistic at the very outset but it's fun to speculate. I do have to also add that the tenants [ official beliefs] of the above religions would have to allow this kind of pluralistic society and the individual adherents of each would have to be willing to be a citizen of a nation that does not OFFICIALLY adopt ANY religion as its own. I'll leave for you to decide whether a follower of the Christian, Jewish or Islamic faith can do this and be a true follower of their particular religion. Mine does for me.
9 comments:
Hi PAUL
thank you for this . . .
I think 'If' what you wrote could actually happen,
Al Queda would finally be defeated.
They calculated a 'response' that would harm us physically, and also in the spirit of 'who we are as a nation'.
They did a lot of damage,
but if you can write and publish a plea filled with this kind of hope,
then they did not win.
There is something of God's goodness left in the great heart of the America I love, and I will continue to speak for its victory over the forces of intolerance, and stereotyping, and prejudice.
God bless you for writing this, Paul. We needed it. I needed it.
I know it will help.
Paul,
I join you as an idealist, but I like to think that, like you I balance my idealism with realism.
Nice to dream, though!
What if one of those religious groups believe that they have a mandate from the Almighty to make sure that everyone on the face of the earth holds to their belief?
Christiane,
I too love our country though I'm aware that there is ONLY one holy nation and that is the one made up of all believers redeemed by His Grace.
But to be a citizen here is a blessing that most of us do not rightly appreciate. I'm glad you do which is obvious to me.
Aussie J,
A question well asked and unfortunately it makes my idealism give way to a strong dose of realism also.
If there is, in fact, a belief in any one of the three that there is a mandate from the Almighty that ALL are to hold to their belief and that those who do are worthy of respect and life and those who don't are not...all would be lost in a civil society were they to be left unchecked.
That said, speaking as Christians, you and I know that the answers to life and death and eternity do not lie in ANY political system. They lie in the gospel of Christ and that IS the message we've given our lives to proclaim and will until He calls us home or returns whatever nation it might be that holds our citizenship. We are also citizens of a better country which is beyond this life.
Paul,
Well said!
Paul,
I believe why Jesus said we would hear of wars and rumors of wars is because religious hatred is the strongest hatred in the world. I believe ‘Trail of Blood’ records a woman being thrown from a window to her death, and her baby came out but was killed by men with their teeth.
How much of an ‘outcry’ by Baptists in America was there when Baptists of a small foreign town disassembled a Catholic church being built and confiscated the materials?
I believe for Baptists to leave everyone, who is going to hell, alone is to ignore the Great Commission, and that alone has started many wars.
Rex,
I think were the government to follow what I suggest..."We do however, desire the government to protect a citizens right to practice or not practice, their own faith or non-faith, whichever the case may be, without fear of reprisal."...what you said here..."I believe for Baptists to leave everyone, who is going to hell, alone is to ignore the Great Commission."...would not happen.
This, because as I said to Aussie J,.." you and I know that the answers to life and death and eternity do not lie in ANY political system. They lie in the gospel of Christ and that IS the message we've given our lives to proclaim and will until He calls us home or returns."
A government guarding freedom of religion would simply make it easier to proclaim the gospel. But since it's in the DNA of a true believer to share the gospel with all creatures regardless of ANY price to be paid, the gospel WILL be shared.
That government guarding freedom of religion would also guard a person's right to refuse the gospel as well. As someone said, "True freedom is to be able to say what I think even if someone doesn't like hearing it."
Paul,
For far too long, we Baptists and other evangelicals, have maintained, rather arrogantly, that we have the right to seek to convert whomever we decide needs converting, and by whatever means.
Jesus NEVER commanded that we make converts. Any good salesman can do that. I know that only too well from my experience as a young "pastor".
If we would read His command properly and seek to be a follower of Christ who makes disciples, who, in turn, become disciple makers......now, that's another story.
Paul,
Sorry for two in a row, but, I forgot to add, if we do that we will find that the Holy Spirit does the convicting and the convincing, exactly as Scripture says
Aussie J,
Now that's the proverbial nail hit on the head...twice.
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