LETTER: Constitution avers freedom of and freedom from religion

To Ozaukee Press:

We are constantly hearing about religious freedom from those in the Trump administration. Unfortunately, what they really mean is Christian  freedom. They won’t acknowledge the fact that there are many different religions that are practiced by Americans. To truly have a conversation about religion we must include Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and all the other religions, while understanding that a large percentage of Americans are secular.

The First Amendment of our Constitution guarantees freedom of, and freedom from, religion. Local, state and the federal government should not be involved with religious beliefs in any way, shape or form.

Trump’s inept secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, recently embarrassed himself by publicly reciting a passage spoken by Samuel L. Jackson in the movie “Pulp Fiction,” apparently believing it to be a Bible verse.

And Trump went even further askew by posting an online image of himself as Jesus Christ, which was truly blasphemous.

Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama have proposed forcing public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. If that’s the case, then the teachings of Buddha, Islam, and Judaism must also be displayed. But in any event the government should stick to governing and leave religion to individuals.      

James Korthals

Cedarburg