(#5189) Religion is personal and should be quiet

      The holding of a belief system is normal for many folks. What is not normal is those same folks trying to bring down their religion onto the heads of the rest of us. I hold what I believe, not factually know, inside me because for one thing it is a guess and for another new information is changing what I think may be happening or did happen. For those of you out there who think that their religion is fact I can only say that you are deluding yourself because no religion ever forwarded on this planet has ever been proven factual. Just so you know as well there are about 4000 religions worldwide subjectively contained within 5 major groups. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism.
     For anyone to say that their religion, although possibly popular, is the one and only religion is so far removed from fact that it is dangerous. There is no proof of any religion being factual so anyone who goes a step further and says that their religion is not only factual but the only religion is borderline tyrannical. We live in a democracy here in America where all beliefs are protected as well as those of us who have no belief. We atheists cannot force our non religion upon anyone nor can the religious impose their beliefs on anyone. So making sure our politics have no religious test within the laws we create is absolute. Laws must protect everyone regardless of race, sex, or religion.
     I say religion should be quiet because unless asked about it there should be no unwanted discussion. If the religious wish to speak about religion among themselves that is fine. But when they come down to our political arenas and attach their dogma to our laws then that is being loud. Our laws need to be free of religious coercion. Our laws need to be adopted with all in mind without the constructs of particular religious agendas. Keeping this clause in the first amendment to our national constitution is vital. "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise." Live and let live as it were. If we are not a free people who can choose our right to believe in a religion or to not believe in a religion then we are not a democracy and should quit claiming we are!