DAMN RELIGION...

True to form, Barack Obama delivered one hell of a speech on inauguration day. One of his best lines concerned unity and religious tolerance:

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass."

Unfortunately, for some people hatred is alive and well; most of them are convinced that American culture is "distinctively Christian."  A Virginia Bishop could not accept Barack's message of tolerance; in fact, he made his intolerance abundantly clear:

"The overwhelming majority of Americans identify as Christians, and what disturbs me is that he seems to be trying to redefine who we are... Obviously, Jewish heritage is very much a part of Christianity; the Jewish Bible is part of our Bible. But Hindu, Muslim, and nonbelievers? I don't think so. We are not a Muslim nation or a nonbelieving nation."

This type of bigotry is all too common in this country (even if it is usually hidden from view). Having a Black president with a name like Barack Hussein Obama is a good thing, but it clearly isn't enough for our old hatreds to fade away.

Muslims and Hindus have always been viewed with suspicion in this country. I would say the same of Jews, but discriminating against them is rather taboo. The new president did well to mention those three non-Christian faiths in his inaugural address - he forgot Buddhists - but what was most notable was his mention of "non-believers." That was without precedence for US presidents. 

Obama acknowledging the role non-believers have played in US heritage is nothing to be taken lightly. It has brought great joy to some, and it has bothered several others. Hopefully we will be able overcome our hatred in this country, but we have a very long way to go. As things currently stand we are in no position to criticize Islamist movements or the state of Israel (which does as it pleases anyway). This is not a Christian nation. God help America... save it from the confines of religion.