I have a sign in the rear window of my car that reads "Freedom of Religion Means ANY Religion". Today, I was waiting in the line to pick up my son from school, and the lady in line behind me pulled up beside me to ask me about my sign. She asked me "so what about Muslims that believe it's ok to have 4 wives?" My answer to her was a simple "They have the right to believe whatever they choose to believe."
"But we have laws against polygamy. You know they believe it's ok. That's part of their beliefs."
"That may be true. But they still have the right to their beliefs, if that's what they choose."
"But they can't have 4 wives here."
"Then they don't have to live here."
"I like your answer."
The conversation could not go beyond that point due to a moving line of anxious parents waiting to pick up their equally anxious children. I wish it could have, because I would have like to have been able to explain myself a little better. Maybe what I should have said is that first of all, I don't think that all Muslims believe that way, although I don't know for sure. But secondly, and this I do know for sure, is that even of those that do believe in polygamy, not all choose to practice it. Personally, I do know a few who chose to live in a monogamous relationship. But here is the point to what I was intending to say to her: our constitution in this country is written to guarantee every individual with the right to choose whatever religion they desire to believe and practice. Ok, so we have laws that dictate certain things, such as polygamy being illegal. So what about all those groups of people that do still practice polygamy aside from those of the Muslim faith? In the news not too long ago was the story of a group living in Texas where polygamy is still practiced. While there may have been an uproar as to the "wrong" nature of their beliefs (and I place wrong in quotations because I believe that right and wrong can, in many cases, be subjective), that uproar was very short-lived. The children of these multiple marriages were returned to their families, and little has been heard from them since. But I am not trying to argue whether or not polygamy is morally or ethically wrong. What I am saying is that anyone of any faith is welcome in this country, and as citizens, everyone is guaranteed that right to believe as they wish to believe. Why should one faith be granted that freedom while another is not? The constitution does not say freedom of religion so long as that religion is Christianity. All religions are guaranteed that same exact freedom. If a person of a particular faith wants to live in this country, then they themselves, on a deeply personal level, has to come to the decision within themselves if following the laws of their chosen nation works with or against their chosen faith. There are certain countries in this world that I would love to visit, and yet it would not be possible for me to live there simply based on my personal beliefs. So yes, I do believe that Muslims should enjoy the same freedom that has been granted to other religions in this country. I refuse to hold an entire group of people in some type of prejudice simply because there were a few who chose to do unimaginable atrocities in the name of that religion. That would be like holding all Christians accountable for the burning of hundreds of thousands of people, claiming them to be witches, when their only "crimes" were that they were knowledgeable in the use of herbs and homemade remedies, or that they were women who knew how to think. Or like holding the entire German race accountable for the holocaust. I don't remember so many people in this country having such an outward and obvious hatred of Muslims before the attacks in New York and Washington. Yes, it was sickening. But the only ones that should be held accountable for those actions are the ones who actually carried out those attacks, not the entire Muslim faith.
What was this woman's intention in asking me this question, specifically directed at one specific religion? I don't know. Maybe it was completely harmless. Maybe she was trying to ensure that she's not the only person who feels a certain way. Maybe she isn't even completely aware within herself why she chose to ask me this question. What I do know is that all people are created from the same source. Whether you call it God, Goddess, source, universe, Allah, Jehovah, or whatever else. It is all the same source. We, no matter what religion, race, gender, etc., are all human beings living on this tiny little rock, going around a tiny little star in a tiny little solar system on the edge of a tiny little galaxy in one really huge universe. We are all we have. Shouldn't we work a little harder at loving and accepting each others' differences? Shouldn't we all work just a little bit harder to have "peace on earth; good will toward men"? Love each other. Respect each other. Accept each other..... even when we don't agree.
