Religious freedom is protected by the constitution of the United States along with freedom of speech. Anyone has the right to proclaim, discuss, or speak about their “god” in any public place in the United States. To make any certain “god” or any certain “religion” a mandatory requirement would be an oppressive infringement on the rights of others to retain their own beliefs without suffering the implied fear of conformity to the established rites of the dominant culture. Pray to your “god”, it is legal. Enforce rules to make me pray to your “god” instead of my “god”, it is not legal. Remove “god” from public school curriculum entirely and therefore remove the struggle of dominance and intimidation. It clears the way for learning, as school is meant to be an institution for education and not an institution for endorsing religious beliefs, dogma, or doctrine. Mandating a definition of “god” does not belong in school. Grammar and math and geology and physics and chemistry belong in school. The belief in “god” is something that is inherited through the family and traditions of each individual citizen. If a person wants their children to learn about their “god”, they should take them to their church or temple or synagogue or mosque or full moon bonfire. Send them to school to get educated about communicating and perceiving the world around them.
When my Grandmother died, I cried my fucking face off for days… and drank a lot of whiskey. I loved her more dearly than anyone and it was the greatest loss that I have suffered in my short life here on earth. When we got to the funeral, to my heartbreaking dismay, I was not allowed to grieve her death and mourn with my family. Instead I was made to suffer through a brimstone hellfire sermon and sternly told that I will burn and be tortured to suffer in hell for eternity for not being a believer in my family’s faith of choice. I was denied my emotions. I was denied being a human being. I was castigated and cast apart from life and family by that ceremony. I was infuriated and disgusted and remain so to this day. I do not believe in my family’s “god”. The personal denial that I suffered at my Grandmother’s funeral is allowed and accepted among family but that level of struggle, denial and rejection does not belong in any school or public establishment.
My own personal belief is that my family’s brand of religion is a social and psychological control mechanism to keep the congregation complacent and passive and disconnected from their true selves. It helps society to run along smoothly and keeps the humble cogs from finding their higher selves and breaking out of the machinery. Breaking out of the machinery is freedom for some and destruction for others… it’s been a lot of both for me personally. I can not deny that doctrine is a good and helpful thing for those who cannot perceive its true purpose or muster the bravery of accepting the unknown that lies beyond abandoning faith. But if you are able to see beyond the comfort of its oppression, you can find the truth. It is difficult. It is painful. It is real. It is freedom. It is my god.