I guess I like Facebook for its ability to find (and by found by) old friends (and in my case, students!), and to stay connected with some of them. But I can’t stand the ‘hit and run’ posts, or more accurately rants. They seem more designed to stir up emotions than discussions, and they often seem to be filled with half-truths (if that much). It’s exasperating, and it usually is hopeless to try to enter the exchanges to discuss calmly.
But sometimes I try. I’m not 100% sure (I kept the conversation, but not the entire context), but I think this was a few months back, around the time of the controversy near Atlanta, I think, where a municipal government had tried to erect a momument to the Ten Commandments and the ACLU had protested. So one morning, this shows up on Facebook:
Like this post if you think the ACLU is anti-American, anti-Liberty, and anti-religious.
And apparently the poster had suggested the Founding Fathers might be turning over in their graves.
I’ll share my response (which went nowhere, of course), though it is slightly edited (partly to try to eliminate more of the exasperation?). If your feelings are similar – or if they are different! – I’d be happy to hear. I’m convinced we reach agreement – and grow – by discussions, not by ranting.
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Sigh. Please note: I am not necessarily a fan of the ACLU. (I probably woundn’t ‘LIKE’ their FB page.) I think they are over-ambitious at times, and sometimes tend to take on things that common sense says aren’t worth it. (MUCH like we all do – including this post?!) But they are NOT anti-American, anti-Liberty (Good Lord, Liberty is part of their name!!), or anti-religious freedom. And to call them that is to over-react even worse than they sometimes do.
AND, in this case, it is MOST CERTAINLY to miss the point (intentionally?) ! Probably no two words are more mis-used (or used to convince) these days than “founding fathers”. Our founding fathers were a disparate, interesting, creative, enlightened, brilliant, and often progressive [shame!] bunch, but it seems to me that one thing is clear: Their intention was that our country should separate church and state. This is not to say value one more/less than the other – just separate them! They did that for reasons that should be clear (going back even further to the Pilgrims), and they did that to prevent our nation (as an entity) from forcing individuals or groups in our nation to believe one way religiously. How much more FREEDOM can you get?!?! Just because we are a “Christian nation” (even if we could define that!) does NOT mean we need to force our beliefs on others – period – but especially in the state-sponsored arena.
This does NOT make us weak – it makes us strong! It does not mean the country is going to hell in a hand-basket – at least for that reason, anyway. It means we are confident enough in our own faith to allow others to believe differently.
