(Photo courtesy of Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)
Hope.
It's such a loaded word.
Here's what it means to me.
I hope that President Obama will be true to his own words, meaning that he will shape a government that respects the idea of remaining secular and tolerant, not theocratic. As parts of our country grow alarmingly dependent on religion, we who are not religious are that much more dependent on the rule of law to mediate. If the law abandons us, we have little hope. Theocracy has stolen our government for the last 8 years, and I hope that January 20, 2009 marked the beginning of a new way of thinking and practicing foreign policy that is actually very much rooted in our past. Yes, our country was born in the flight from religious persecution, and yes, two-thirds of the delegates dubbed the "founding fathers" were of various (mostly Christian) denominations, but one-third of them were not. One third of them were either non-practicing, agnostic, or atheist. But all of them recognized the importance of protecting and preserving religious tolerance with the rule of law. There is no other way. Man is an emotional creature by nature, and passion is one of the great forces of humanity. But passions are all too often misguided, and when it goes too far we have little but the law to protect us. This must be guarded at all costs.
It's such a loaded word.
Here's what it means to me.
I hope that President Obama will be true to his own words, meaning that he will shape a government that respects the idea of remaining secular and tolerant, not theocratic. As parts of our country grow alarmingly dependent on religion, we who are not religious are that much more dependent on the rule of law to mediate. If the law abandons us, we have little hope. Theocracy has stolen our government for the last 8 years, and I hope that January 20, 2009 marked the beginning of a new way of thinking and practicing foreign policy that is actually very much rooted in our past. Yes, our country was born in the flight from religious persecution, and yes, two-thirds of the delegates dubbed the "founding fathers" were of various (mostly Christian) denominations, but one-third of them were not. One third of them were either non-practicing, agnostic, or atheist. But all of them recognized the importance of protecting and preserving religious tolerance with the rule of law. There is no other way. Man is an emotional creature by nature, and passion is one of the great forces of humanity. But passions are all too often misguided, and when it goes too far we have little but the law to protect us. This must be guarded at all costs.
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