We are reminded that this nation, through its constitution, was founded on the principle of freedom from and freedom of religion. The United States is not a theocracy, we are not a nation defined or governed by one religion. The US is not a ‘Christian nation’ (through pragmatically Christianity’s influence is heavily visible in our cultural and social and systemic roots). Rather we are a nation in which people may choose to believe and practice Christianity, not force it on others in public schools. Even early colonists, including those who left England and Europe because their own religious choices were not tolerated, enforced their beliefs and practices on other residents of their settlements, becoming enforcers of the same intolerance our ancestors once fled and reviled. Respect and space for different religious backgrounds, views, practices, faiths and expressions is a fundamental characteristic of our nation’s framework. Yes, our local Jackson Community Church is rooted in the trinitarian Christian tradition. Yet we enagge as part of an ecumenical, interfaith collaboration network in the Mt Washington Valley. We encourage people to learn about and appreciate and honor other spiritual traditions. To cultivate ‘holy envy’ and be curious about other faiths and the rich offerings they add to our culture and society and growth as individuals and communities. That includes understanding that our civil rights and laws may be embdded with ethics that we can find reflected in the Ten Commandments, but comparable ethics and mores are also present in the teachings of many faiths. May this nation remember whom our founding architects aspired for us to be, and may we seek to support that ideal of religious freedom for all people in public spaces and places.
Informative article in these principles: https://www.heritage.org/religious-liberty/heritage-explains/religious-freedom-whats-stake-if-we-lose-it/#:~:text=church%2C%20or%20mosque.-,It%20means%20people%20shouldn%27t%20have%20to%20go%20against%20their,their%20beliefs%20peacefully%20and%20publicly.
