Freedom can be Ugly...

It's impossible (at least for me) to avoid seeing the stories about Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who needs her religious freedom specially protected because doing her job now interferes with her religious beliefs. And it appears the Pope has said people have the right to take this kind of stance in the name of religion.
In reality, people in the United States have the right to say a lot of things and to do a lot of things - in the name of freedom - generally. That's what makes our country unique. Sometimes the exercise of freedom doesn't look so pretty. In fact, sometimes it's down right ugly.
To my knowledge, there are no laws that prevent the Westboro Baptist church from protesting at funerals of fallen soldiers. The Klu Klux Klan has a right to hold rallies and march - even the ACLU has defended that right. We can think of dozens of instances of people protesting - exercising their rights - and it did not look so pretty to many others. We have lots of rights in this country. We protect those rights but there are consequences.
It is the consequences that need the closest scrutiny. In each circumstance, we need to put a different face on the issue at hand. If we protect - or fail to protect - the individual right (no matter what that "right" is) how does that apply to other similar situations? That seems to be the work of the judicial system - weighing the law - the constitution - and providing some balance.
Kim Davis' job changed after she was elected. She doesn't like that change and doesn't want to accept it. I get that. It's kind of like getting a new boss who does things differently - maybe outside of your perceived ethical boundaries. You raise an alarm and say "hey, I'm not liking this" and expect something to fix your problem. Kim has gotten the answer. Most of us understand that it's not going to be fixed for her. Why not? Because there can be a thousand other similar issues from a thousand other directions that would then require special exemptions/protections. Yes, she has the right to raise the objection. Objection noted. Now about your job...Are you doing it or not? If not, step aside. The job is different now but it must be done. If it is too painful, you can quit. We all have the right to walk away from a job that has become too painful to endure.
You do have a right to keep protesting. You have a right to hold rallies and march about it. Many of us will think it looks pretty ugly. Tax payers shouldn't have to pay for ugly. I'd be fired if I refused to do my job, though I do have the right to protest if I want to do so. The consequences will likely be rather ugly.

Why I sing spirituals

I love to sing spirituals which might seem a little odd to those who know my religious views well.
I describe myself as spiritual - Unitarian - in that I believe all religions have some things right (and some things wrong.) And when I really start explaining what I believe, some of my closest friends have thought it means I am atheist or agnostic. The depth of it is simple. I don't believe I can prove myself right in my beliefs any more than I believe anyone else can. What's important is to believe in being a better person and treating other's better - study the human condition and be committed to improving it. If your spiritual path takes you there, I applaud.
I've avoided the very Christian churches I was raised in because I have felt for many years that they were all "hell bent" on selecting for themselves who could and could not belong to "God's Kingdom". They have seemed way too confident in their understanding of what God wants.
But I have never stopped singing and loving the spirituals - even favorite hymns. It is part of my history and heritage but there is something more. As a young teen, I recall learning to sing and play the spiritual "All my Trials" - probably the first slavery era spiritual I learned. I connected with both the pain and the hope of that song. It prompted me to learn about the origins of "negro spirituals". I learned about the Underground Railroad at the same time - 1969 - that the civil rights movement was at fever pitch.
The spirituals are filled with meaning. Some were coded messages meant to let other slaves know that an escape was coming. "Freedom Land", one of my favorites, says "I'm on my way to the freedom land.... I asked my brother...I asked my sister... I asked my mother... and then, "If they won't come, I'll go anyway". That is powerful stuff. The singer was calling for all nearby to abandon conventional wisdom and put ALL on a journey to a better place. And the singer was clearly stating that no matter what others decided, they were going. Freedom! The Freedom Land!!!!
I don't know anyone who is not moved by the message of Freedom. It's what I am searching to find. A place in the world to be me and to be free.
And so, I am back to the start of this blog. Is any part of your belief system impinging on another person's FREEDOM? Are you a Pagan afraid of Christians? Are you a Christian afraid of Muslims? Are you an atheist afraid of.... What is wrong with finding common ground? Let's sing! Let's find some songs we can sing together!! Let's find our way to the Freedom Land!!!!