Land Of The Free

In America we often take freedom of religion and speech for granted. We do not worry that we’ll be punished if we’ve criticized our government leaders openly or dared to question religious practices. 

As I grew up I loved to read. I soaked up the printed page like a sponge and believed most of what I read if it sounded authoritative. Then it hit me one day like a burst of light, - I don’t have to believe this just because somebody managed to get it published! I also learned to be selective in what I read. In the college library I came across a book I’d heard of that contradicted my religion. I even started to pull it off the shelf when I said to myself, “I don’t need to read this.” And I slipped it back in.

But there came a day when I had to read another book condemning my church. I’d started dating a young man who seemed to be wise in his choices. He didn’t drink or smoke or gamble. I was curious about his religion but didn’t ask, and he didn’t ask me about mine. When things began to be serious between us I finally told him, “I am a student of Christian Science." Then quickly I said, "My grandmother was healed of frequent migraine headaches through the prayers of a C.S. practitioner. They were so severe she couldn’t eat and she was down to 85 pounds. She and Grandpa had been active in the Congregational church and it was hard to leave because their friends and the minister tried to convince them they’d be 'going to the devil.'”

This little disclosure seemed to offer him an excuse to leave on some errand, but he didn’t say anything about my announcement except, “Let’s get together and talk about this soon. If we’re going to get married it might help to be on the same page. You see, I’m a member of the Congregational church.”

The next time I saw him he came to have dinner with my grandmother and me. (I was living with her while going to college then.) After the meal Grandmother left us in the living room and retired to her bedroom. She didn’t know what was about to transpire that evening. Nor did I.

Presently my young suitor pulled out a book and handed it to me. “I got this from my minister,” he said.

 I must have winced when I read the title, “The Non-Sense of Christian Science,” but I opened it and began to read. Soon I could see that it was mostly a compilation of citations removed from the textbook of Christian Science, Science & Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. Each citation had been taken out of context and made to look ridiculous. 

That’s when I went to get my copy of the textbook to show him how important it is to put the citations into their context in order to see the rationality of them. We spent hours sitting on the sofa going through his book and mine. He was not convinced by my book and I was not convinced by his. Soon after we went our separate ways. 

Now I don’t believe two people can’t marry if they’re not adherents of the same religion. I have some good friends who have had a good marriage even though he is a minister of an orthodox church and she is an active member of The Christian Science church. The children were exposed to both churches early on and their daughter chose to attend the C.S. Sunday school while the son chose his father’s church. What has held them all together? Love, no doubt, and the allowance for each member of the family to believe as his or her conscience dictates. This little family didn’t quarrel over differences, they were too busy living their similarities.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all do that? If we could agree that divine Love is, even now, working out the truth of things we could wisely let Love solve our differences or live with them peaceably. So, what should we do about glaring errors such as the stoning of people, the execution of those who do not believe our way? What should we do when someone chooses to rely on prayer, not to go to a doctor, and he subsequently dies? 

I believe that prayer should be our first resort, but I also believe anyone else should be free to choose his or her first resort. Humanity has made some significant headway in human behavior but it has a long way to go. As for the latter instance where one chooses to rely on prayer instead of medical means we might, in fairness, explore the instances where healing has resulted through prayer, even when these cases have been given up by the medical profession. This was true of my grandmother when nothing the doctors could do for her helped and, after her healing through prayer suffered not even one headache, even slightly, the rest of her 90 years. 

As I thought about this today, this Independence Day of 2014, and of the freedoms we enjoy in this country, I can’t help remembering too that our founding fathers were, for the most part, God-fearing men. It is heartwarming to me to see on our currency a reminder, “In God We Trust.” The separation of church and state protects religious freedom but does not mean our country is godless. Atheists are free to preach but should they succeed in stripping all mention of God in the halls of government we shall no longer be the land of the free. 

A little flag is waving by my front door and I’ll soon be going to a 4th of July party. It’s no doubt good that fire crackers have been outlawed but I’m glad I can remember the smell of them. As a child I thought this was my favorite holiday. Now? Christmas, then New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, of course, to name a few. No country’s government is 100% good but I’m glad to have a day to remember the beginnings of the U.S.A., and pray that there will be no ending to this land of the free!

Happy 4th of July!