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Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave his speech this week, and enough people have commented on it that I'm sure everyone's already heard enough. But that's never stopped me before.... After reading his speech and mulling this over for a few days, I find that it's apparent to me that -- in the eyes of Romney and those of his ilk -- I am not qualified to be an American.
After all, I don't believe in any god at all. None.
"Freedom requires religion..." That's what Romney said in his speech. Therefore, since Romney is equating our country with freedoms, our country requires religion. Evidently there actually is a required religious test despite the fact that our constitution specifically forbids one. At least there is in Romney's view -- and he wants to make sure that everyone knows he passes that litmus test.
Strangely, nowhere, nowhere in this speech of supposed unity and tolerance is there any mention of those who don't believe in one of the three Judeo-Christian religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). None. Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Agonistics, Aethiests, et. al.: they evidently don't exist in Romney's definition of "religious freedom."
As for the separation of church and state, Romney gives lip service to that idea, then rapidly contradicts himself: "...in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong." What? Not believing in a religion is a religion? I find that concept insulting, frankly. No one's asking that people not display signs of their faith. You want to put a creche in your front yard? Fine. You want to put a menorah in your window? Fine. But I don't want my city, state, or federal government putting up a religious display. Period. That's the government pushing a faith.
Worse, Romney has a religious test for judges, too: "Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith on which our constitution rests."
"We believe that every single human being is a child of God." I don't, emphatically. I believe that every single human being is a child of biological evolutionary processes. And a government that operates by that principle that we are "children of God" has not separated religion from politics.
"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government." Wow... I am obviously not an American in Romney's view, since I consider our liberty to be entirely deriving from the work of human beings, not coming to us as a "gift of God."
"Any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty has a friend and ally in me." Obviously, I have no friend nor ally in Romney. Neither does a Pagan, nor a Buddhist, nor... well, the list is long.
It would seem that for Mitt Romney, and for those candidates who agree with his point of view, that there is freedom of religion in the United States as long as you're a Christian, and we'll perhaps tolerate you if you're Jewish, and we'll even pretend to tolerate you if you're Muslim as long as you're not one of those awful fundamentalist types. But if you're anything else.... well, there's no freedom for you, Bucko.
After all, I don't believe in any god at all. None.
"Freedom requires religion..." That's what Romney said in his speech. Therefore, since Romney is equating our country with freedoms, our country requires religion. Evidently there actually is a required religious test despite the fact that our constitution specifically forbids one. At least there is in Romney's view -- and he wants to make sure that everyone knows he passes that litmus test.
Strangely, nowhere, nowhere in this speech of supposed unity and tolerance is there any mention of those who don't believe in one of the three Judeo-Christian religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). None. Buddhists, Hindus, Pagans, Agonistics, Aethiests, et. al.: they evidently don't exist in Romney's definition of "religious freedom."
As for the separation of church and state, Romney gives lip service to that idea, then rapidly contradicts himself: "...in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong." What? Not believing in a religion is a religion? I find that concept insulting, frankly. No one's asking that people not display signs of their faith. You want to put a creche in your front yard? Fine. You want to put a menorah in your window? Fine. But I don't want my city, state, or federal government putting up a religious display. Period. That's the government pushing a faith.
Worse, Romney has a religious test for judges, too: "Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith on which our constitution rests."
"We believe that every single human being is a child of God." I don't, emphatically. I believe that every single human being is a child of biological evolutionary processes. And a government that operates by that principle that we are "children of God" has not separated religion from politics.
"Americans acknowledge that liberty is a gift of God, not an indulgence of government." Wow... I am obviously not an American in Romney's view, since I consider our liberty to be entirely deriving from the work of human beings, not coming to us as a "gift of God."
"Any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty has a friend and ally in me." Obviously, I have no friend nor ally in Romney. Neither does a Pagan, nor a Buddhist, nor... well, the list is long.
It would seem that for Mitt Romney, and for those candidates who agree with his point of view, that there is freedom of religion in the United States as long as you're a Christian, and we'll perhaps tolerate you if you're Jewish, and we'll even pretend to tolerate you if you're Muslim as long as you're not one of those awful fundamentalist types. But if you're anything else.... well, there's no freedom for you, Bucko.