The Freedom of Religion is a granted right in the first amendment of the Constitution. As a US citizen, we all have the right to choose any religion we want: Christianity, Judaism, Hindu, etc. Therefore, from birth, The United States addressed that there will be no national religion; one should not be held higher above the other in this country since this country is supposed to represent the people (all of the people). Now I ask, who didn’t get that memo?

My parents gave me the choice to discover the religion that best suits me, if there be one out there at all. Although they had been raised with strict demands as to what religion they would become, they wanted their kids to figure it out for themselves. It was up to me to find my own religion, not just adopt theirs. After a few years of experiencing and learning about different religions, I found Buddhism. It represented my philosophical beliefs as well as enlightened me to new ideas that I had never before considered. I also liked the fact that this religion never gave answers to the unfathomable questions (Where did we come from, Who created us, How will it end, etc), it just focused on being a better person each consecutive day you live your life, until the last. To me, it’s less of a religion and more like encouragement towards a rewarding life. To this day, I consider myself a proud Buddhist who is learning new things about myself and my religion each day, and am not ashamed to admit that I will never truly understand the extent of either.

It’s hard to think of where I should start when trying to give examples of how religion has penetrated government. It would be appropriate to mention that religion has always been intertwined in power. As far back as the Mayans, Egyptians, and Romans, there was always a collective religion. The United States is one of the first real attempts by a dominating world superpower to try and maintain freedom of religion (so far). Read More
Read the rest of this entry »