Living in the Bible belt for so many years I had to put up with a lot of prejudice against my race and my lack of Christianity. Including the open expressions of the KKK and it’s members. The funny thing about all of that is that I was married to the grandson of a Grand Dragon of the KKK. Although he married me knowing full well that I was a mixed blood and believed in my “Way” he still tried to convert me. At one point while living in the State of Oklahoma I was entrenched in a long battle of wills with the principal of the local elementary school over the fact that he let men into the school to hand out bibles to the children. Here are a few of my ramblings on freedom of religion.

I am sick and tired of hearing that the KKK isn’t a Christian Organization. Especially when all of its propaganda specifically states it is a White Christian Organization. They are zealots of their idea of Evangelistic Christianity as well as being exclusively Caucasian. I believe it is just other Christians in denial over what the KKK is that object to it being called a Christian organization.

Certain televangelists are now spouting some of the same garbage on “hate crimes against Christianity” that the KKK has for decades. Saying that privately owned stores and chain stores are committing a hate crime by not displaying signs that say Merry Christmas and the like. I’m sorry but you know if a store is privately owned and the owner doesn’t want to celebrate a holiday that’s their choice. Just because Christians shop at a certain store doesn’t make it a Christian institution.

"I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others." --Thomas Jefferson to Edward Dowse, 1803

Just like the idea that Christians have that America was founded on Christian ideals. Wrong the United States was founded on many Christian ideals but not America. The United States is a country. America consists of two continents, and many countries, that had native inhabitants long before Christian Caucasians arrived here. Native Americans had many “Ways” other than Christianity. With the conquests of our Nations came the attempted eradication of our “Ways”. We were not totally eliminated as peoples so why would anyone with any kind of common sense think that all of our “Ways” were eliminated?

"The rights [to religious freedom] are of the natural rights of mankind, and... if any act shall be... passed to repeal [an act granting those rights] or to narrow its operation, such act will be an infringement of natural right." --Thomas Jefferson: Statute for Religious Freedom, 1779.

"I do not know that it is a duty to disturb by missionaries the religion and peace of other countries, who may think themselves bound to extinguish by fire and fagot the heresies to which we give the name of conversions, and quote our own example for it. Were the Pope, or his holy allies, to send in mission to us some thousands of Jesuit priests to convert us to their orthodoxy, I suspect that we should deem and treat it as a national aggression on our peace and faith." --Thomas Jefferson to Michael Megear, 1823

United States Bill of Rights Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Our freedom of religion extends beyond the Law of the United States it is now recognized internationally.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights , passed in 1966 by the United Nations, expanding its prior statement to address the manifestation of religion or belief. Article 18 of this Covenant includes four paragraphs related to this issue: