Friday, September 03, 2004
Place Title Here
President Bush had a commercial toting the fact that there are two new democracies in the Olympics. Lately, I have been thinking about all of the freedoms we have now, and how someone at our back door is wanting to take them away. There are many "biggies" on my list -- freedom to vote in a democratic society, freedoms accorded to womanhood (since I am a member), freedom of the press, freedom to be stupid (oops, that's part of freedom of the press), and last but not least, the freedom of religion that has some so angered. I am as awed as any foreign visitor at our nation's diverse people with so many different religions living together peacefully.
So why are we supporting governments that eliminate this essential freedom?
In my newspaper today, buried in the back, is a blurb on Israel's treatment of Christians. The Christian leaders in Jerusalem say that the Israeli government is causing an "unprecedented crisis in their ability to minister to the faithful, maintain holy sites and help the needy". By delaying to issue work permits and residence visas to Christian clergy and church volunteers from abroad and by taxing church properties (change to decades long practice), the Israeli government is trying to take over land occupied for centuries by Christian institutes.
Genocide by Arab militias was first practiced in the Sudan against Christians, but now has spread to all black villagers in Darfur. Where were we then or now in helping to end this violence? Is it so wrong of us to stand up not only against violence, but also against religious persecution? Has this become such a dirty word when the United States government makes this statement, but not when other countries make their statements in the name of state-sponsored religion?
Surely, with our powerful world influence, we could reduce or eliminate aid to a country that is eliminating one of these basic rights. It would restore some of my faith in our nation's fairness if freedom of religion was counted as a prerequisite to counting the numbers of democracies.
President Bush had a commercial toting the fact that there are two new democracies in the Olympics. Lately, I have been thinking about all of the freedoms we have now, and how someone at our back door is wanting to take them away. There are many "biggies" on my list -- freedom to vote in a democratic society, freedoms accorded to womanhood (since I am a member), freedom of the press, freedom to be stupid (oops, that's part of freedom of the press), and last but not least, the freedom of religion that has some so angered. I am as awed as any foreign visitor at our nation's diverse people with so many different religions living together peacefully.
So why are we supporting governments that eliminate this essential freedom?
In my newspaper today, buried in the back, is a blurb on Israel's treatment of Christians. The Christian leaders in Jerusalem say that the Israeli government is causing an "unprecedented crisis in their ability to minister to the faithful, maintain holy sites and help the needy". By delaying to issue work permits and residence visas to Christian clergy and church volunteers from abroad and by taxing church properties (change to decades long practice), the Israeli government is trying to take over land occupied for centuries by Christian institutes.
Genocide by Arab militias was first practiced in the Sudan against Christians, but now has spread to all black villagers in Darfur. Where were we then or now in helping to end this violence? Is it so wrong of us to stand up not only against violence, but also against religious persecution? Has this become such a dirty word when the United States government makes this statement, but not when other countries make their statements in the name of state-sponsored religion?
Surely, with our powerful world influence, we could reduce or eliminate aid to a country that is eliminating one of these basic rights. It would restore some of my faith in our nation's fairness if freedom of religion was counted as a prerequisite to counting the numbers of democracies.
