Peacock Dreams

(Locke) says 'neither Pagan nor Mahomedan nor Jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the Commonwealth because of his religion.' Shall we suffer a Pagan to deal with us and not suffer him to pray to his god? Why have Christians been distinguished above all people who have ever lived, for persecutions? Is it because it is the genius of their religion? No, it's genius is the reverse. It is the refusing toleration to those of a different opinion which has produced all the bustles and wars on account of religion. - Thomas Jefferson


I had the pleasure of hearing the wicked smart Professor Barbara McGraw speak on separation of church and state last night.

This author of several books, including Rediscovering America's Sacred Ground her talk outlined why the polarized debate between the false opposites of "The Secular Left" and "The Christian Right" is not helpful to our projects nor are either what the Founders envisioned.

A ruling body has no right to tell us how to worship, not worship, practice or not practice, yet that does not mean religious expression ought to be left out of the public sphere.

The Founders outlined far greater religious pluralism than we currently engage with in public fora. In our quest for tolerance, we have limited debate and ceased to put forth our own deeper principles around issues such as abortion rights, environmental protection, the rights of children, civil rights for queer families and a whole host of other issues currently on the table of debate. McGraw argues that in not rooting the debates in deep principles, for example in couching abortion rights as "choice" rather than emphasizing the sanctity of a woman's life over the life of a fetus, we water down our arguments and give the narrow, literalist Christian right a louder voice, because it is a voice with a stronger foundation.

What are the foundations we stand upon? What is really important to us and why? We do not want government telling us what to believe and how to practice, it is true, but that does not mean that my sense of the Sacred here on earth does not inform my practice of going to the soup kitchen every week. It does not mean that my sense that "all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals" should not enter the debate around the rights of a gay man to be at his partner's death bed.

Newt Gingrich and Mike Huckabee are wrong: the U.S. is not a Christian nation. But does that does mean we need be a-religious? Even the God of Reason has a place here. We can come from a strong ethical stance rooted in whatever beliefs we may have, be we a reasonable Atheist, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Christian or Jew. McGraw's thought of expanding - rather than de-limiting out of politeness - public debate is refreshing to me, and could only help to improve our critical thinking skills.

Jefferson wrote: I am satisfied the good sense of the people is the strongest army our government can ever have, and that it will not fail them.

Good sense has failed us, because too many of us ceased to think for ourselves, allowing the old top down government to rise again, and allowing people we disagree with to set the terms of the debate. What would happen if we took back the reins of principle and reason, and spoke from our conscience, spirit and heart?

I do not know, but while elections in the U.S. have been stolen with barely a whimper because of a populace numbed by years of apathy and plenty, the people in Iran are rising up. The debate continues. Possibility is present, but we have to learn again to step forward, and to choose.


[side note: if you have not yet listened to my podcast with Selena Fox, our talk on civil liberties and Paganism may be of interest. Podcast on Fire is running late, but coming soon! Check them out on the link above, or subscribe via iTunes. And this post is part of Pagan Values Blogging Month]