Get thee to a nunnery

Your Score: The Prioress

You scored 21% Cardinal, 61% Monk, 55% Lady, and 35% Knight!

You are a moral person and are also highly intellectual. You like your solitude but are also kind and helpful to those around you. Guided by a belief in the goodness of mankind you will likely be christened a saint after your life is over. [ETA: *snerk* That's rich.]

You scored high as both the Lady and the Monk. You can try again to get a more precise description of either the Monk or the Lady, or you can be happy that you're an individual.

Link: The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test written by KnightlyKnave

Whose God?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Lots of stuff in that First Amendment. The Blog Against Theocracy Blogswarm concentrates on that first bit about religion.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The United States of America does not have a state-sponsored religion and is prohibited from having one. Its citizens are free to practice the religion of their choice, and the freedom to have no religion is implied. Seems simple enough, doesn't it?

In this country, the vast majority of those who claim a religion claim Christianity. A vociferously vocal segment of that population wants our legislators to make laws based on their fundamentalist, literalist interpretation of the Holy Bible. They agitate and speechify and take out large advertisements in newspapers, proclaiming their desire to return this nation to its "Christian" roots; they want to ban certain publications, restrict medical procedures, deny civil rights, all in the name of their God. Which is the only God that matters, apparently.

What if the predominant religion in this country was Orthodox Judaism? Buddhism? Islam? Rastafarianism? Pastafarianism?

These religions have no less validity than Christianity (except for, maybe, the Pastafarians). How do you think the Christian Right would feel if one of these religions began agitating and proselytizing in the same fashion? They'd feel threatened, don't you think? Perhaps even persecuted? Hey, turnabout's fair play, and all that, right?

All of us with any sense make decisions based on our own set of moral values, our determination of what is right and wrong, what is just and unjust. It's expected, even demanded, of us as rational adults and participating members of our community and country.

I have no quarrel with you if the conclusion you reach based on your set of values is different from the conclusion I reach. I must draw the line, however, when you seek to enforce your values by proclaiming "God's Law" and limiting my freedoms under the Constitution.

Whose God? Who decides?

Thankfully, our founders took measures to prevent such a thing by giving us the First Amendment. Your religion can dictate what you do, but it can't dictate what I do.

Thank God.

~~~~~
A contribution to the Blog Against Theocracy Blogswarm, July 1-4, 2007.

First Amendment Center
First Freedom First
Theocracy Watch
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Sojourners