To Santorum and anyone else who thinks everything in the US would be just nifty if we got rid of that pesky separation of church and state thing, I would like to talk to you for a moment. Don't be scared. I'm not going to call you an evil theocrat or try and make you take down your sign or whatever. It seems like you believe everyone who doesn't want our country ran by religion is out to get you, but we're really not. In fact, all I am going to do is ask you to consider a couple of things.
First of all, I want you to think about the religion that scares you the most. I know you have one. Everyone has one. You know, that religion that people follow and you have no idea why? The one that seems illogical to the point of depravity to you? The one that not only seems wrong but also diabolical, inhumane, and evil? Yeah, you know the one. It's probably different for all of us . . . even if you don't think it is.
Got that religion in your head? Okay, now I want you to think about the most radical members of it. The leaders who command their misguided followers and con them into doing horrible things. The radicals who do scary things and make it quite clear that they hate the rest of us. Think about the people who follow this religion who make it very clear that they are out for blood. They don't believe in tolerance for fellowship. They only believe in destroying everyone who is different than they are.
Now . . . imagine that the crazy radicals of this religion that scares you are the people who get to decide what happens in this country. They get to decide what happens to you, who you marry, what jobs you can hold, how much freedom you will be allowed to have. They get to make decisions about what is taught in schools, what medical practices will be allowed, what rights you get to retain. If you are a woman, imagine what it will be like when these people get to make decisions about you and how much freedom you get to have, what you can wear, if you get to make decisions about your marriage choices or your children.
What would your life be like if the radical members of the religion that scares you were getting to make all the decisions?
I realize this is slippery slope logic. I know that you will say that it won't be this way. The crazies won't get power here and everything will be okay because the people who believe like you and think like you will be in charge. You might also tell me that no religion being followed is just as bad as radical religions. The government that makes secular decisions is still using your money and doing things with which you don't agree.
We have a long history of people who have felt that way in the US. Many groups have separated out from the rest of society to live quietly and in a nonparticipating way with the rest of us. It's not perfect and sometimes there is still violence, but it's rare enough that it always shocks us.
From my perspective, separation of church and state is probably the thing that makes the US the strongest. We can have people who are very religious of many many faiths living together without so much violence that we stop functioning because, at the end of the day, there is the basic idea that no one religion will be favored over the other. It doesn't always work that way, but the idea is there.
Because of this, we're not in some constant war for religious dominance. We're not shooting each other in the streets or displacing groups of people because they happen to see their imaginary friends in a different way than we see ours. This isn't something we should abandon. This is something we should promote. This is something we should make stronger. If we continue to push the idea that government and religion should be separated, then we also promote the idea that everyone is free to believe how they wish . . . provided they're not hurting other people in the process.
As an American, I have to say nothing makes me more uncomfortable than when a politician starts saying that he or she is putting religion before everything else. To me, this violates the basic concept of a republic. As a representative, you are there to put the will of the people first. This is not about you and your beliefs. This is about what is best for the people you represent. You are a voice for your community, not a voice for some deity or religious figures.
I think for some politicians, this concept has been lost.
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