My neighbor (actually across the street and 4 doors down, and sadly, moving to TN next month) is a former Marine infantryman (0311), and a fire-breathing conservative. I truly have never met a more dedicated conservative; he puts me to shame, having dedicated hundreds of hours to Oliver North’s senate campaign, and a couple hundred more to Allen’s gubernatorial and senate campaigns. He joined the Corps in the same year I did and for the same reason (1981, to kill muzzie fundies during the hostage crisis). The biggest difference between the two of us (other than his dedication) is his seething, volcanic hatred for liberals. I don’t like them, but his hatred is on a level 1,000 times as bitter and venomous as mine. He’s a mega gun-nut, too of course. True story — he has drawn up a list of people to invite and is planning a huge bash in his backyard to throw a party on the day Doug Wilder dies, because DW managed to legally limit him to 3 guns a month when he was governor. He LOVES Christians for their conservative, family ways, their law abiding respect for authority, and the immeasurable contributions they’ve made to Western Civ. and all of humanity. And yet,... You know where this is going. He doesn’t believe in God. This makes him a hypocrite? Something undesirable? Would we prefer a mega-liberal Buddhist? After all, he doesn’t believe in our God, either. Why is believing in Buddha, (a false religion) acceptable, while believing in no God (also false) not acceptable? Would we prefer a liberal Christian? If liberal Christians ran the world, all Christians would be in chains. If my neighbor ran the world, every courthouse and every school in this nation from CA to NY would be adorned with the 10 commandments and prayer would be encouraged. Muslim prayer would be outlawed, and Muslims would be banned from even entering the country.
When the final battle comes, the skeptics will have more to fear from Sharia than the church-going Christians and will be the natural allies of the Christians. My historic heritage is Christianity and the Enlightenment. Why must I be considered a hypocrite because I refuse to renounce my heritage just because I’m a skeptic?
I put up a Christmas tree and listen to the Vienna Boys Choir during Christmas because I enjoy doing so. I enjoy the Christmas decorations (creche included). I am incensed that people can’t put up a cross along the road where they’ve lost a son or that a judge can’t post the Ten Commandments in his court. I rejoice that other people can find solace in their religion. Militant atheist give me a pain in the tail. So do fanatics that write me out of society because I doubt the improbable.