The American Civil Liberties Union has filed lawsuits across the nation to remove crosses and the Ten Commandments from public display. It has gone so far as to sue the city of Los Angeles to remove the cross from the county seal. In the past two years the ACLU has filed more than 24 lawsuits in opposition to the public display of Christian symbols on government property according to the Web site. It has stated that because of our “freedom of religion” under the Bill of Rights it is unjust and improper to display emblems of a certain religion over others in public places. Where there are only Christian adornments on display they advocate these symbols be taken down to avoid offending those of other religions such as Jews and Muslims.
Although I agree with their premise that no single religion should be depicted on government property I consider it an extreme and inappropriate course of action to insist that nothing at all be on display.
This past Christmas season for example a small but boisterous group of people pushed for the lights display— a tradition in downtown La Jolla— to be more commercial. The “Merry Christmas” signs some argued should either say “Happy Holidays or not be shown at all. After giving some thought to the subject, I have determined that promoting a generic holiday season seems like an underlying attempt to promote a complete absence of religion, rather than merely promoting freedom of religion.
Allowing people to openly celebrate their faith is a cornerstone of what this country was built upon. The Puritans came here to escape religious persecution. They fought hard and braved a new world in order to gain the ability to celebrate whatever holiday they chose. They started a country under the premise that all of its citizens would then have that freedom. 200 years later, however, we seem to be moving backward as we keep people from publicly celebrating their respective faiths.
What freedom of religion really means is the ability to celebrate whatever religion a person may choose. Our ability to represent our diversity is what makes this country unique. We fight for equal status and representation for all races and genders, yet our separate faiths are hidden away— even though they provide uniqueness to the individuals who identify with them.
These restrictions not only suppress individual expression, but are also leading to the further commercialization of religious holidays. During the holiday season, it seems to be becoming customary to say Happy Holidays as opposed to wishing someone a Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah.” This movement toward a generic season causes the actual holidays to lose significance and become more commercial. Never mind that for Christians Christmas is the second-most-important holiday (only to Easter) or that for Jews Hanukkah represents a great miracle that saved their people. Beyond the advocacy for a more general holiday season the argument that it may offend others is completely ludicrous.
As a citizen of the United States I am taught to respect others’ views because of the freedoms provided by our nation. Religion whichever it may be is an important aspect of so many people’s lives— so why shouldn’t we allow it to be represented with respect in all its forms? Seeing another religion publicly represented should not offend someone merely because it is not his or her personal religion.
It is important to use our freedom to embrace our differences. Many countries have restrictions concerning what its citizens can and can’t practice. We live in one of the greatest countries in the world where we are allowed the freedom to do as we wish to a great degree. Over 300 million people live in this country representing a multitude of religious faiths. Instead of suppressing those faiths why not represent them wholly? This country is no longer considered a melting pot but a salad bowl. All mixed together each retains his or her identity and is protected in this regard by the laws of the land. Religion is one of those many unique attributes about an individual— so we must advocate for all to be represented rather than none.