I'm religious. I'm Christian. I've done seminary. I teach religion classes. I read scriptures with my family daily.
I do not want a religion-run government. I don't want the government telling anyone how to worship. I don't want any god involved in political discourse.
One of the main beliefs of most religions is that you, as an individual, need to choose the god you worship. You need to make choices to align with what you believe.
Using religion to dictate legal policy is abhorrent because it removes the right to choose a god and thus erases faith.
If you are forced to obey religious edicts you do not develop faith. We know this. We've seen it done hundreds of times in history. It always ends poorly and it never ends with some religious ideal of everyone loving any god or each other.
It's always an excuse for abuse in the name of religion.
What Republicans in the USA keep proposing mimics extremist Christian doctrine but isn't in keeping with anything Jesus taught. It's a dog whistle and a cloak of religion that covers up their desire to build a dictatorship. The goal isn't religious, it's an Oligarchy of the wealthy.
If the Republicans said, "I ought to be able to own wives and concubines and keep slaves!" the law would tell them it's illegal.
But if they say, "I want to keep women's bodies controlled by limiting abortion access b/c my belief is abortion is evil," the law can't judge their faith or religion.
Your freedom of religion should already allow you access to abortions, gender-affirming care, birth control, and all other medical care if you want it. Because the belief that your body is your own is a religious belief.
You have the right to not believe what a Republican senator believes.
The 2024 US elections are a matter of religious discourse.
If the Republicans win we will lose more first amendment rights. We will lose the right to religion because Republicans are ready to take away our rights in the name of their beliefs and their goals.
Vote accordingly.
If you're in the small group of people who currently support the US Republicans, remember the pendulum can always shift and the next wave of government officials can ban your rights too.
That's why government and religion need to stay separate.
You do not want to be told how to pray.
@LianaBrooks If Republicans win, we lose the First Amendment, period.
@SentinelOfTruth Yup. That is my belief and major concern.
@LianaBrooks We need an explicit law stating that one person's beliefs or religion has no bearing on another person's life, especially if that other person doesn't share the first one's beliefs or religion.
@NoahPaulLeGies Something like, "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." ?
Too wordy, you think?
@LianaBrooks Not explicit enough. It protects practicing one's religion, but doesn't do anything to restrict one from imposing that religion on others.
@NoahPaulLeGies Mmm, okay. I can see that reading. Although I'd argue that, legally, atheism is a religious point of view and therefore protected. You have the right to not pray. But I see where people would twist it.
Using religious language the Republicans are able to appeal to extremists who do believe those things and cover up radical changes that would strip rights from US citizens.
Your freedom of religion should be enough to allow you to make medical choices for your body. You have the rights already.