Concepts
Some concepts are easy to get. Like "FIRE BAD!" It's very simple, to the point, and easy to convey. Then there are some concepts that are very hard, like free speech and freedom of religion. They are so hard the people who founded this country wrote down the basics of them so we could always refer back and make sure we still had it right.
But as people with power are wont to do, they are gaming the system. I'm specifically referring to Jerry Falwell's "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign." If you want to read more about the he said, she said part of it, feel free. Either way I will assume that you, like myself, feel that Falwell is a jackass and continue on in such a fashion.
Falwell knows he has a lot of power, as does his brand of Christianity. He convinces people that they are under attack and/or becoming a minority to get his folks fightin' mad and to demand the protections provided in the Constitution. And by "protection" I mean "preference" -- which as you know is specifically not how the Constitution describes freedom of religion. In other words, they want freedom for their religion at the expense of other religions. To them, that is more than fair since they are "under attack." If you say they aren't under attack, well, you're attacking them and you're going to Hell. Yippee!
For a while I was worried when various brands and braches of "faith" started seeking to weaken freedom of religion, as envisioned by the Consitution. Because even though it appeared to be a group effort, it would end up with one at the top getting more play than the others. Which would seem to me to be the exact opposite of freedom of religion.
So once again, lets think all the way back to jr. high and remember that yes, our founders were "people of faith" and even predominatly Christian -- who were repressed by the Church of England. So they bailed and found a place where they could practice their faith their way. Then when we became a country we thought it would be a good idea if the State didn't get to have a religion so it wouldn't feel it necessary to to crap on all the others.
BRILLIANT!
So, in my opinion, either Falwell and his ilk never made it past jr. high or they are playing people for fools.
