An Understanding of Freedom of Religion

The Individual's Rights in America

I'm tired of people trying to impose their beliefs on other individuals. In the United States of America every single citizen has religious freedom. First of all, the United States does not have an official state (country) religion. That's right, the Constitution says this country has  separation of church and state. I am also weary of people accusing President Obama of taking away people's Constitutional rights. Do these people even know what the Constitution says? When was the last time they (or you) read it? In elementary school, maybe?

President Obama is not the "abortion President", as James Dobson of Focus on the Family says. The POTUS is a man who believes in the rights of individuals as stated in the Constitution. President Obama taught constitutional law for twelve years at the University of Chicago Law School. As President, and as a constitutional scholar, he knows and he must ensure, that every American citizen has the right to make choices for his or her life, regardless of any President's personal beliefs.

Secondly, many Americans seem to have forgotten American history and why the pilgrims and Puritans came to the "new world" in the first place. They came to have RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. In the United States of America, a person has the right to believe or not to believe what others do. Thankfully, this country does not have an official state (country) religion like Saudi Arabia (Islam), Pakistan and Cambodia (Buddhist), Somaliland (Islam), Israel (Jewish), Denmark (Lutheran), Greece (Eastern Orthodox), and Scotland (Presbyterian).  These are just a few countries that do; there are many more. However, in the USA, every person may choose his or her own religion. Each citizen can also choose NOT to have a religion. In America, a person can also NOT believe in God. That's right. Everyone has the right to choose what they believe, and they don't have to believe someone else's ideas or "religious" beliefs.

Thirdly, the Bill of Rights guarantees citizens the freedom of religion. It's the very first amendment. Read the Bill of Rights for yourself. Therefore, religious organizations and their leaders, do not have the right to legally impose their beliefs on others. The Constitution protects citizens from being forced by organizations to have the same belief system as their members. That is why there is a multiplicity of faiths in this country, as well as atheists, and agnostics.

The United States is NOT a Christian country. Hence, its citizens may be of any religion or no religion at all. In fact, the founding fathers were NOT Christians. They were  Deists. This article explains Deism. 

 

Don't believe the hype! And definitely don't believe the pundits. 

Think for yourself. Know the facts before your speak or act. 

Too many Americans believe whatever someone says without checking the facts, and knowing the truth. It boggles the mind that there are, and have been, so many lies and deliberate wrongful misinterpretations of President Obama's thoughts and actions. Instead of focusing on negative untruths, Americans need to begin recognizing that they are being manipulated. The need to understand how the policies and programs implemented by the President benefit them. Obtain knowledge of what you're talking about and reacting to, before you decide whether or not it's  beneficial for you, your family, and your community. While you're

pondering that, learn what the media critics and elected naysayers propose. Usually, the recommendations that they make serve to benefit wealthy corporations and rich individuals, not the average middle class citizen. Senators and Congressmen have free deluxe health care that is paid for with your tax dollars. Yet, they and the governors of your states want to deny you a  bare bones health care program. These people earn very high salaries, also paid with your tax dollars. They regularly vote themselves raises, which is allowed by a law that cannot be changed. When was the last time you had a raise? Or even a decent paying job? 

Do you live in a state that refuses to expand Medicaid so that everyone can have health care, even though the federal government is giving the state money to pay for it? Do you live in a state that is cutting food stamps and letting children go hungry? Do you live in a state that makes it harder for you to vote when there never was a problem before? You can't even get a record of your vote. How does a citizen know if the results of an election are valid? Think about it. Think about it and do the research for yourself. Form your own opinion. Go directly to the source and read for yourself, instead of accepting what biased politicians, organizations, corporations, publications, and individuals say. They all have an agenda: money or power or both. It's easy to say don't raise the minimum wage when you are a wealthy corporation or a rich individual. 

 

No where in the Bible does it say that God is a "Christian". The New Testament does say that there were followers of Jesus Christ; however, the term "christian" was a negative description of them after Christ's death, and his followers were being persecuted. Throughout the Bible, particularly in the New Testament, we're told that there is one God, not one "Christian" God. Alabama's Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore, another misguided leader who doesn't know the Constitution obviously has his own interpretation of God. He also doesn't seem to understand the first amendment of the Constitution.

What can you do? Ask yourself this most important question: 

"Is that true?" 

Then go find out, before you form an opinion based on what someone else said.

 

Take note: The greedy, power-hungry companies and individuals are taking over many public services. Their motive is to make a profit, NOT to help educate children or prevent recidivism in the prison system. Your state governments are even considering privatizing social and family services. Don't think for a minute that they will run any of these public services cost-efficiently. In order to do so, they will and have decreased the quality of the services, eliminated jobs. And guess what? Your tax dollars pay for these companies. Yes, these unscrupulous companies are paid with your tax dollars. Many civil service workers will be unemployed and will eventually have to take jobs at much lower salaries. That's how corporations work. The Privatization Nightmare. By the way, your elected officials benefit from this process, too. When they leave office, they get cushy, well-paid jobs with the companies the government contracted with to run government services. The  United States Postal Service is the next huge service that is on the agenda to be privatized.

 

What really boggles the mind is the fact that this President has accomplished more for Americans and the country, especially the  middle class and the poor, than his recent predecessors, and probably more than any President, ever!

In fact, 3 Chics Politico says he's done more than any President in the history of this country.  President Obama's accomplishments despite American lawmakers' resistance to his proposals. 

Finally,

• Know the truth before you speak against something: 

• Know all sides of an issue and why your representative/senator/governor supports it:

•  Know how decisions will affect you, your family, and your community: 

Accountability: Time for a Citizen's Performance Evaluation of the United States Congress

                    From Pro President Obama Blog                                                                                                                                http://propresobama.org/2011/12/08/gop-plan-obstruct-delay-degrade/

Did you elect your Congressman and your Senator to ensure that President Obama does not get reelected? Or did you elect them to run the country and solve our problems? In short, did you elect them to do nothing? Did you elect them to thwart the President's every recommendation to help our country get back on its feet? No? Well, that's exactly what Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republicans decided to do the moment Barak Obama was elected. Watch him saying this... Suppose you did that on your job? Suppose you decided that you didn't like your colleagues and refused to cooperate with them? How long would you last on your job? Right! You'd be gone in the blink of an eye.

Isn't it time for the American taxpayer to give the House and Senate the customary performance evaluation? After all, we, the taxpayers, pay their salaries and for their benefits, their offices, their staffs, and their job-related expenses. Through the election process, we hired them. Of course, the ultimate evaluation of their performance is to not  re-elect them; and once upon a time, that did work, but not anymore. That was before they could be so easily bought by powerful corporations and very rich men. Now they serve the needs of corporations and the rich, not the American people. They've stacked the deck so that even the Supreme Court justices seem to serve the mighty corporations, and not we, the people.

John Boehner, House Majority Leader 

Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader

Most organizations, whether corporation, non-profit, or government, conduct performance evaluations. This is done to determine how well the employee achieved pre-determined, agreed upon goals, and if s/he met expectations. It is to discuss where improvements can be made (if necessary), establish goals for the next year, and to decide salary increases (if any).

There are usually identifiable, measurable, concrete goals upon which the performance is evaluated as outlined in the job description. In addition, these must be achievable by the employee, measurable, and totally under the employee's control.  Although in theory, performance evaluations are objective tools, when actually prepared, they can also be subjective. Establishing agreed upon goals helps to diminish  personal judgment.

In today's society, the performance review has several stages. Each organization has its own system, usually uniquely designed for it. Most performance evaluation systems include the following steps:

1. The employee prepares an evaluation. 
2. The reviewer (usually the person's direct supervisor) prepares an evaluation. 
3. The two meet privately to review and discuss the supervisor's evaluation of the employee's performance.
4. The employee signs the document indicating that s/he saw it. The employee's signature only connotes that the review took place, not approval of the evaluation. If there is disagreement, the employee may write his/her comments on the review stating that s/he disagrees with the evaluation and why. 
5. The supervisor's manager may review the evaluation and a human resources manager.
6. The rating the employee receives usually dictates the amount of his/her salary increase (if any).
7. Establish goals for the next year.

How would you evaluate your Representative and your Senator? What goals do you have for them? Are they living up to them? If you're among those who believe that the role of Congress is to keep the country at a standstill, overwhelmed in debt, with our children going hungry, and uneducated, and jobs nonexistent, then this article is not for you. Pass it on to someone else who wants our country to recover and be successful. If you believe the lies and deliberate misinterpretation of the facts, then this article is not for you. Give it to someone else.

Your tax dollars pay the Congress' salaries and for their generous benefits. Here's an article on Congressional salaries and benefits from the New York Times' About.com. Looking back over the past three years, and based on what you observe today, are you getting your money's worth? I think not. We have a President that has brought the country back from the brink of disaster despite the refusal of Congress to cooperate. Let your Representative and your Senator know how you feel about them by voting them out of office!

Make sure you are properly registered by your state's deadline, and VOTE! This isn't just a Presidential election. What happens in the next four years is up to you. Do you want a country run by corporations and the rich who care nothing about you? Or do you want a country that uses your tax dollars wisely and for the benefit of ALL the people? Do you want a country that imposes other people's religious values on you?

Your answers these questions will determine how you vote. The United States is a diverse country. Let's make sure that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. 

The Tax Bill

From Ruth Richey. . .

In case you have not already read this article, I Just wanted to share these few details about the tax cuts and the POTUS with you.

         "The rest of the package delivers tangible benefits to the unemployed and to lower- and middle-income taxpayers.

        For roughly $100 billion to the rich, Obama got $197 billion in benefits he sought for the non-rich, $146 billion in business tax cuts to push job creation, plus an extension of the $280 billion middle-class tax cut. Many Democrats insist the Republicans would have eventually given in on relief for the middle class; the administration is not so sure. "

       If you want to read entire article, click:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120805113.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions