In the United States context, the
Treaty of Tripoli (1797) stated in Article 11:
As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion,—as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen,—and as the said States never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
Well, that was certainly a weighty way to start a post.
When I first came out of the proverbial "broom" closet, I was young, full of piss and vinegar and invincible...you know, the usual late teen bravado. I knew who I was, what my future was going to be like (I was going to change the world afterall) Now 20 years later, I've grown up, have a respectable job, live in a respectable neighbourhood, and a descent small city, commuting 1 to 2 hours a day, and compeletely miserable about it. HA! Not what I saw as a young man, that's for sure.
Don't get me wrong, my home life doesn't make me miserable, on the contrary, it empowers me. But...and there's always a but, it hasn't been the out in the open changing the world kind of life. As you grow up, depending on the choices you make in life, sometimes it's better to put certain things back in the "broom" closet, like...the broom. And as the title of this
article from The Wild Hunt professes...Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you.
For centuries, if you weren't of a certain faith, you'd be persecuted, treated like less than an animal, and in some cases stoned, burnt, hung, drowned...sometimes all of the above if the crowd was extra bigotted. What I have been trying to understand for most of my life is
how one God can be the basis for the 3 most influential religions on the planet, yet cause the most dischord and strife. At their very basics, all 3 worship the same Godhead, follow the same beginning chapters. All tell the stories of Abraham (All three trace their roots to Abraham and his family), Adam and Eve, Moses, Noah etc.
Now, realistically, the Pagan culture isn't free of this kind of dischord. The major difference is, we're not trying to take down and restructure governments. Religion has no place in government, unless all faiths are represented equally. Fundies need to get a clue, that they aren't the only ones on the planet. I applaud their devotion to their faith, however I detest their force feeding their dogma to everyone.
Jumping off of soapbox now.
Moon Phase: Waning Crescent
Mood: Pensive
Listening To: 30STM Hurricane
Word of the Day: Really?
