One Nation under a "Christian God," or Separation of Church and State?

Contrary to the beliefs of many of the Christian fundamentalists I interacted with in my "fight those conspiracies" days a couple decades ago, the founders of this nation--the United States of America--were not all Christian. It appears to me, that the founders didn't intend for any one religion--not even one of their own personal choice--to have authority over the people of this country.

I watch the posts forwarded around Facebook, and I see people are still trying to persuade others to join in their personal belief of one nation under a Christian god. It's obvious they haven't re-visited the history of this nation, much less, of this world and the many religions at their deepest foundations. Instead of considering opening themselves to a possibly more personally freeing perspective--they squish their eyes and hearts shut, and run away in fear.

If you dare, take a look at the history of the Old World countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, etc. prior to the founding of this freedom experiment in the New World of the Americas.

Britain was bloody with fighting between Protestants and Catholics. Anybody heard of "Bloody Mary"?

Kings beheaded wives on a whim--marriage vows were definitely not sacred and holy. Women had no equal rights--not really even those with the title of queen--and very few women artists were allowed to sign their own masterpieces.

Years before that, Constantine made a political move, to get some sense of order and stability, by combining all the religions together under his one governing authority. He called himself a Christian, yet held onto his pagan worship practices, too. It's why you see pagan ideas and traditions mixed in your religious doctrines and celebrations.

For example, the celebration of Christmas, which takes place now during the old pagan-celebrated winter solstice, is believed by many proclaimed Christians to be the actual birthday of Jesus, but it isn't.

Was Jesus born of a virgin? The virgin birth idea was rampant in ancient forms of worship. Call me a heretic for bluntly asking the question, but, really--does it matter whether Mary had sex, or not? What's pertinent to me, is that she gave birth to this amazing messenger and friend who taught about the Kingdom of Heaven being right here, right now, right "at hand."

Also look a bit more closely at Victorian-era Britain--and you'll see some strong influences in our own western ideas surrounding human sexuality and government and religion. Victorian ideas influenced my 1960's childhood perceptions of my sexuality and sensuality--you weren't supposed to touch yourself (those "nasty" parts), and if you did, it wasn't supposed to be pleasurable.

Sacred scriptures (you know, that "word of God" thing people point out as their Holy Bible) were put together and translated according to the self-interests of the rulers of that specific era and region. Some writings were even eliminated, due to not wanting to give the masses any ideas of self-empowerment and responsibility.

You'll find the people of the old world were over-run by the power by force and money belief systems, by feudal enslavement systems, and by religions and government so intermixed, they were no longer discernible as different entities.

In some cases, religious zealots played the role of puppeteers of the governments of the masses. They provided the wealthy a supposed means of buying their way out of their sins and into the graces of their god, a moral bribe.

In the old world, humanity was so immersed in, and conditioned to, living under the thumbs of outside institutions and belief systems for so many eons, that it was too difficult to even introduce the idea of personal freedom and responsibility to the masses. Much less, live it. It was too volatile and confusingly mired together.

The founders of freedom found a fresh clean slate here, in the form of the Americas. Granted, some of that old world aggression unfortunately forced some terribly atrocious cruelties upon the natives who were here first. I can't change that part of our nation's history, but I can feel gratitude for all those who have gone before me, for allowing me the chance to explore, and begin to truly experience, this amazing thing called self-sovereignty.

My personal belief is that the ETERNAL SPARK of SOURCE--aka "God"--lives and breathes within every single one of us. Who then, needs some outside authority to rule over them?

That sacred, Holy word (expression) of God, is you...and it's me. A priceless gift. Do you really want any other outside being mixed up in the beauty and intimacy of that which is within you, and you alone?