Religious freedom is supposedly the reason you descendants of the English came to this continent in the first place. It is the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.[1] And yet, the GOPers want to deny Muslims the right to build a Mosque in lower Manhatten. They want to make it a campaign issue in the upcoming mid-term elections. So we have an oportunity to talk about all religions. As an atheist I think they're all bunk, but I would, as a citizen of this country, defend your right to believe whatever bunk you want in the name of "God" and call it religion. I don't think any of you deserve tax exempt status just because you call the space you "worship" in a Church. But, I don't have the power or the right to deny you a status you claim as a religious organization. I don't want you building a Church in my neighborhood, but if you own the property and have the money to do it, you can build your Church Of The Christian Holy Mumbo Jumbo any place you want. But you Republicans want to deny this freedom to American Muslims. Notice that I said, "American Muslims?" How do you justify this bigotry and call yourselves Christian or American?
White people on the political right seem to have forgotten American History. This seems to me to be a failure of our education system that so many white folks graduated from High School without learning anything about the founding of this country and the establishment of our government. Tea Partiers need a remedial course in the Constitution. The Second Amendment seems to be the only Amendment that makes sense to the far right, and yet they claim liberals want to destroy the Constitution. It's a kind of mass projection to blame your opponant or competeter of that sin which you commit. If you Christians hold any document sacred, it ought to be the document that guarantees you your religious freedom. Just remember it also gives the same rights to anyone from any culture who has become a citizen of this country the right to worship in a Church of their choosing.
