While I don’t disagree with individual’s of faith being
allowed the same rights to prayer and beliefs as so-called secularists, Sen.
Bill Stanley’s proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution, SJ287, would do
more than ensure an individual’s right to pray on public property, it would
also complicate “existing constitutional protections to allow “sectarian
prayers on behalf of government in otherwise impermissible locations.””[1]
According to Stanley, his proposed amendment was prompted by
anxieties that “people of faith are under attack by government.”[2]
This is the mantra of the Republican Party, “the government is attacking!,”
regardless of the issue (unless its abortion, or secular school curricula, or
fighting unnecessary wars internationally and domestically, or, or, or).
Stanley’s ‘concern’ brings up an important question: can
secular and religious tolerance be granted equal weight in Virginia? That is,
can Virginia live comfortably with both secular and religious rights to belief
both accepted and tolerated?
Up to the present, it hasn’t appeared that both worldviews
can live together peacefully (i.e., without a constant underlying tension).
Each side in this debate has constantly feared the intrusion of the other into
its sphere of influence, so to speak.
For my own part, I feel comfortable in the skin of a secular
individual and uncomfortable around individuals who religiously practice…religion.
But their beliefs should be respected too, and unfortunately
their beliefs were largely brushed aside after the religious dogmatism that gripped
America for hundreds of years was finally thrown off in favor of a more secular
belief system.
That said, it’s fairly clear that this group of Republicans in
the General Assembly would like nothing more than to overturn secularism in all
of its varieties in favor of their own religious belief systems. These individuals
don’t know middle ground or compromise (like mature and sane adults do).
Thus, I’m skeptical of any Republican attempt to ‘level the
playing field’. To them it means, “It’s my way or no way at all.”
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