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As this topic has inspired heated debate on many Pagan fronts, to make their views clear on the subject, what follows is a collaborative effort and reflects the opinions and beliefs of the Goat and Candle staff.
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During the Burning Times, France, Spain and England all experienced the inherent dangers of a "national religion", and the religious police forces which enforced it. And, as seems to have been forgotten in the latter case, those who could stand it no longer fled to these very shores in the name of religious freedom. Whatever happened to the "melting pot" theory, to joy within diversity, to toleration born out of understanding? And whatever happened to the separation of church and state? Ill winds are blowing.
Across the country, as various state and national representatives are considering whether to allow the Ten Commandments of the Judeo-Christian scriptures to be displayed in government-owned buildings and schools, voices of dissent are being heard. It is unquestionably a multifaceted issue. The Ten Commandments are, for the Western world, an example of a document that is historical, cultural and religious. But when the defense for such documents residing in government buildings blossoms into an overtly religious issue - with claims being made that the United States was founded specifically as a Christian nation - the line set to separate church from state begins to blur. The blindness of these officials, allowing religion to mingle with politics, will have widely-felt ramifications if the process does not stop here and now.
Quite a few members of the Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence and ratified the Constitution were Masons, Rosicrucians and believed in other powers beyond the Judeo-Christian God. It wasn't until the 20th century that the Bible-based religions began to be "pushed" as the founding principal of our nation. The Pledge of Allegiance, recited in schools everywhere on a daily basis, did not include the words "under God" until the middle of the past century. Suddenly, being American presupposed a belief in the Judeo-Christian God. Prior to that, the country was "one nation, indivisible". Whatever Gods or Goddesses an individual chose to hold sacred remained a private matter of heart and conscience.
Now, we are being pushed further. Quite enjoyable are the Pagan statues adorning various buildings and parks throughout the nation, but their true essence is most often lost on the average person, as no popular religious significance is linked to the figures. At best, the images are attributed to "ancient mythology" and "long dead" Pagan religions. And, while the educated understand that all religions are based on various forms of mythology, the majority of Christians and Jews do not see any "myth" in their beliefs, legitimizing their religions with "historical proof". On the basis of this historical proof, Christians continue their attempts to convert any and all non-believers - including the Jews - and feel compelled to shove the Ten Commandments down the nation's collective throat. To this end, elected officials, private individuals and special interest groups are making use of billboards, murals and paid advertising. As the City Attorney of Elkhart noted about the recent ruling which allowed the Ten Commandments monument to remain in front of that city's courthouse, "It was God's will that prevailed", giving the entire proceeding a distinctive "good versus evil" flavor. It's that sort of attitude that could very easily escalate into cries against Pagan statuary and architecture - and Pagan individuals - in the very near future. All if religion continues to seep into politics.
While, personally, it is possible to see the seeds of truth and wisdom in various aspects of all religions, granting governmental preference to a certain tenets while ignoring others is religious discrimination of the worst possible kind, a breeding ground for intolerance. The ideal solution would be true religious equality: documents of import of all religions hanging side by side, their messages for all to enjoy. Breakthroughs of this nature, however brief their tenure may be, have been made in a few states. If this cannot be achieved, however, then voices must be raised in opposition. This is a democracy, where all people are represented through the voting process and have the inalienable right to speak against the government, if the need arises. If those elected to represent the public interest choose only to listen to certain constituents (those who contribute heavily to their re-election campaigns, for instance) while disregarding others - at the same time refusing to repair the leaking dam that separates politics from religion - then these representatives must be replaced. It must be made perfectly clear to all those who serve in public office: the separation of church and state must not be violated!