God?

God has been the inspiration of many things.  (S)He has caused wars, inspired books and faith, has been at the center of so many of the world’s powerful religions and have created a moral code of which we believe in today.  Of course, God did not directly cause war – that would be a silly statement to work.  Through the faithful, God has been the cause of War.  When Pope Urban II declared war to reclaim the Holy Lands (Jerusalem), God was the cause.  God’s people were experiencing persecution in the area – and as a faithful and dutiful Pope, Urban II decided he needed to create the greatest army the world had ever seen to take over the area.

Of course, the Muslims in the area were under the belief that God wanted them to reclaim their Holy Lands – God had taken Mohammad in Jerusalem – and of course the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina.  These do not belong in the possession of the disrespectful Christians. Somehow a war with God on both sides doesn’t make sense – but hey – who am I to say anything?  These events happened almost 1000 years ago – I wasn’t even a thought in my great great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather’s brain (I typed out all those “great”s – is it enough to get me back to 1080 BCE? Let’s say it is).

Today, there we are much more liberal in our speech of God – some more liberal than others.  I almost got lynched in Indiana when I suggested that God be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance.  I guess freedom of speech is trumped by God in the Pledge (the Pledge was created in the Cold War Era – to differentiate ourselves from the godless communist forces in the world – seriously – also any act of espionage by anyone who has said the pledge is treasonous – go fig!).  But today, the remnants of God remain in our mainstream society.  Ideas such as the “Sanctity” of things is common place.  Here are some things I would change if this was my America – due to my understanding of the Bill of Rights and my ability to separate it from Religion and God.  

On Abortion:

Politically, I am pro-choice.  Personally, I am pro-life.  No one should be able to say what a person can do with their body, but I believe a fetus is a person at conception and should not be killed.  My answer to this is education on sex.  Yes, we should break the taboo and talk about it with teenagers –  they’re humping anyway! Now, someone might say this is only going to encourage kids to have sex if we talk about it… it might, but at the very least they are having sex safely and are very aware of the consequences.  Currently, there isn’t a real program to teach about sex.  Here’s how I learned about sex – in 7th grade we watched one of those birthing videos… that was the only time we had heard about sex.  

Puberty was an even larger mystery.  What was happening to me?! I had no idea – and no one was talking about it.  None of my friends said a word – though they were going through the same thing (Changing voice, odd body hair, perspiration that caused odors).  I didn’t know anything – man, God bless the teenage section at the library.  If it weren’t for that section – I would still probably think I was mutating into an ape.  In this instance – knowledge is power.

On Gay Marriage:

I do not believe homosexuality should be sanctioned by any church that currently opposes it. On the same note, the state does not answer to a god – it answers to its people.  So, since it is 2008, we should consider letting people happily live their lives.  If a man wants to marry another man, that’s their business.  As long as no man on man love happens blatantly on the street (I hate PDA in general) – let it happen.  The state under no obligation has to oblige to the sanctity of anything.  Homosexuality is obviously a natural occurrence – even the Greeks were all about same-sex couples.  

On Sodomy:

Sodomy was illegal?! I wasn’t aware of that until the Supreme Court had lifted the ban.  If that’s the case, i know a couple of people who could have been fine/jailed (whatever the sentence is) for sodomy – men and women alike.  From the definition I saw, sodomy was termed as inserting a penis into any human body part that was not a vagina (mouth, ear, nose, anus, belly button), If it’s not a vagina – it’s sodomy!  Is a hand in there? I guess that’s up for discussion.  Hey, when a blow-job is illegal… one’s gotta think – what’s the world coming to?

I mean there are things I understand as being illegal – like bestiality…. that’s just disgusting…. How about sex with the dead – that is no way to honor anyone’s memory…  Worse – having sex with a close family member.  All these things I understand as being unnatural and being outlawed – but when people decide to shove something in something else (As long as it’s not potentially life threatening), it should be ok within reason.  For example – oral sex? Nothing wrong with that.  Oral sex with a cow…. if you don’t know what’s wrong with that – then you really should be jailed.

On Evolution:

Unless we plan on teaching every religion’s creation story – creationism has no place in schools – would you really want your kids learning this: http://www.venganza.org/ ?

Being touched by that noodly appendage can’t be good…. I believe in Evolution – and creationism is a matter of faith – not fact. Even the Catholic Church came out with Intelligent Design which basically accepts Evolution- get with it, everybody!

*****

Now, I don’t plan on engaging in any of the acts mentioned above, but some people would.  I know a person affected by each of those laws or lack there of.  Good people – most of which I’d call my friends and some people I work with and respect.  This is the country of opportunity and freedom.  It is a country of any religion and any person should be free.  These issues may not be “natural” and morally acceptable, but on the basis of an individual – it’s a matter of preference.  Religion says it’s unnatural – but if it happens in our society on a consistent basis – then the state has an obligation to it’s people (even the gay ones!) not the loud bible thumpers pushing a God agenda…

JJRC