Because You Have To Complain About Something...

Just when you think dialogue might actually be maturing, evolving and changing, a story like this turns up to slap some sense right back into you.

Apparently Christians are now upset because President Obama referred to an America inclusive of "non-believers." Um, I'm sorry, what?!?! Backed by numerous Christian leaders, these individuals go on to explain that America is a "Christian Nation" and that Obama is now attacking "American values." Funny, I thought American values involved separation of church and state, freedom of religion, liberty and justice for all and something about equal rights. I must have been mistaken.

Believe it or not Protestants, you only represent 50% of the country, which means there's that "other half" who have somehow managed to live all these years celebrating a different religion or no religion at all. It continues to shock me that in the same year we saw real change by electing our first minority president people are still finding ways to ensure "majority rule" by pushing their dominant faith, dominant sexual orientation and dominant gender perspectives on the rest of the nation (and often, the rest of the World).

The only thing we all have in common is that each of us is marginalized in some way. Rather than attempt to rank which minority status is "worse off" or "destroying the fiber of America," why not look at these other individuals who aren't just like you and think, "hey, I'm x and I know what it's like to feel lesser than everyone else. He or she is y, which is different than x, but still makes them a minority. That must feel very similar. I'll empathize with them and be supportive."

Now, is that really so difficult? Barack Obama was elected because of his promise to re-unite America and remind us that "We Are One." He is every American's President regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or political affiliation. Similary, The United States is every American's country regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age or political affiliation. We constantly go on about how that makes us "better than the rest" so lets start living these values, people. Come on!

The article, in case the link doesn't work: http://news.aol.com/article/obamas-nonbeliever-nod-unsettles-some/316339?icid=200100397x1217174047x1201143706

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Kyle Taylor

Shout out to my Mom for sending that article along and getting equally enraged.