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| Image from Britannica,com |
The recent
reclassification of recognized religions at the Pentagon, and subsequent
revision is in blatant conflict with the First Amendment.
It is an “in your face”
hideously ludicrous example of government respecting preferred establishments
of religion while prohibiting others.
The Pentagon should
recognize all religions or none.
No jurisdiction,
department, or branch of government has the authority to prefer, establish, or
set aside any religion.
Government is not
designed, nor is it competent to decide or define what is a church or religion.
Nor does it carry the authority to attempt to impose upon the human conscience,
even by appearance, what is legitimate religious thought.
This is an example of
government hubris that reinforces my call for an arm’s length relationship
between government and church.
Unequivocally, government
cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion or, even by sly implication,
suggest that some are more valid than others.
Contrarily, it is the
Church, Mosque, Temple, and Synagogue that enjoy the freedom of speech to
inform the government as to how to achieve the promotion of the General Welfare,
a purpose established in the Preamble of the Constitution,
I find it helpful to
think of promotion of the “General Welfare” as improving the conditions of the
people.
The Abrahamic religions,
the Buddhists, and others promote care for the poor, inclusion of the
marginalized, and freedom of personal conscience.
Government, in all areas,
would do well to attend to these “General Welfare” exhortations and thereby
improve our conditions rather than spend time and resources attempting to
sidestep the Constitution (to which all government officials have taken an oath)
in pursuit of any expression of religion preferred by any Administration that
happens to be in power.
