Friday, October 31, 2008

Religionistas

It was George Orwell (not LaVar Burton) who first said "all literature is political," and I believe that.  For those who missed it, MY NAME IS WILL is, at its largest political level, about the dangers of aligning political and religious power. That's why stuff like this scares the bejeezus out of me.

I couldn't help thinking of this prominently displayed, marble-eternalized quote in the Jefferson Memorial.  It's from Virginia's 1777 "Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom," upon which the First Amemedment freedom of religion clause was based.

"No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship or ministry or shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but all men shall be free to profess and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion."

Throw that at your rightwing neighbor, and ask 'em if they support atheists as loudly as they support guns.

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