Jan. 29, 2009 - Free exercise of religion?
Watch this!
This couple is being questioned by NY state as to the sincerity of their religious beliefs when seeking a waiver for refusal to vaccinate their children. I know some people in our homeschool group who have been treated rudely by whoever it is that you must go through in Utah, but this is just outrageous. It makes me think I need to keep a list of scriptural references and quotations of prophets which support my personal beliefs. Apparently religion doesn't count unless it's an officially endorsed teaching of a certain denomination.
I am reminded of the poem:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Could we change the wording on this poem to homeschoolers, vaccination refusers, polygamists? When are those of us who don't belong to one of these groups going to stand up and fight? What authority do a group of citizens have to tell me how I must raise my children? They were entrusted to me by God. Where have they derived this authority? I know where my authority comes from.
I wish this were some rare case where those in positions of power have been over reaching, but it isn't. The course of my own life, my own pursuit of happiness has been roadblocked by rules and regulations at every turn, and all I want is to be self sufficient. We live in Rome. The people want bread and circuses and until someone comes for them they are happy to keep things going so long as they get their pittance.
The virtues of the country of my birth have gone through my hands like water, no matter how I've cherished them and honored them. We will repeat once again the mistakes of old, we are no special exception to history. Those virtues though will remain cherished by liberty loving people the world over. They will passed on, and one day they will rise from the ashes again. Until then, I fear that the following is coming to fruittion right before my eyes:
"If we are not willing to pledge our lives, our efforts and our sacred honor then we must one day spend our sunset years telling our children what it once was like in America when men were free." -Ezra Taft Benson
