Christians deserve equal respect, freedoms
by Amber Foreman, reporter

     Why is it that this country was founded on the basis of freedom of religion, but now people cannot even pray in public? Recently, prayer at school and football games has become a hot topic.

     I just don’t understand how everyone seems to have freedom to express themselves except for Christians.

     I understand that under the new laws, principals and teachers can use public facilities for activities that seem to approve of or condone sexual perversion and call it an alternative lifestyle. And if someone is offended, that is okay.

     School officials can present killing unborn babies as a reasonable method of birth control, and if someone is offended, oh well. Leadership in schools can designate a school day as earth day and involve students in activities to worship the goddess, mother earth, and if someone has a problem, that’s okay.

     Apparently, we should tolerate everything and anyone except God and His commandments.

     When the government created the church and state clause, it did not intend people who believe in God to go into the church and hide. The writers visualized a system where schools, or the government, could not force religion onto anyone. How has that evolved into a situation where no one can even confess and proclaim their beliefs?

     Most of our founding fathers of the United States of America were Christians. One primary reason that the original colonists left England was so they could express what they believe.

     I know that people have their own beliefs and that not everyone has the same beliefs.

     At football games, no one makes you pray when they pray; at Christian clubs in school, no one forces you to join, attend meetings or believe what they say. You make your own choices and cannot be forced to do anything.

     There are many things that offend me that I cannot change. People say things and do things out in public that I do not agree with, but I cannot change what they do.

     People curse in public, and that offends me. However, I don’t think that I must curse to fit in, nor do I confront those offenders. Although I would rather not listen to such language, I don’t believe I have the right to inflict my values on others.

     I also find public displays of affection, whether by same sex or opposite sex couples, offensive. My religion teaches that homosexuality is wrong and that sexual activity is a private matter between a married heterosexual couple. I don’t have to change my value system or try to change someone else’s. I just want the same treatment.

     For instance, if a family or a group of friends decide to say a blessing before a meal in a restaurant, they should be allowed to do so. They should not be stared at or hear rude remarks because they are simply and quietly practicing their own beliefs.

     Just because someone does things that we don’t agree with, we don’t have to conform to their beliefs. You may not believe the same way I do, and I may not believe the same way you do. We are given the Freedom OF Religion, not the Freedom FROM Religion.