Keep Your Religion to Yourselves!

Why don't people keep their religion to themselves?

My Facebook feed is filled with ads for prayer guides and pleas to send money to one religious group or another, and posts from online friends touting their religious beliefs. Stop telling me to "let go and let God" or that I should glorify their God or that I am blessed by their God.

These are Christians -- not fundamentalist Muslims or some fringe religious sect. My reaction is the same -- I DON'T CARE about your religion or what you believe. America supposedly was founded on the premise that there will be no state-sponsored religion. Yet the evangelical sect of American Christianity is taking over governments at various levels. The anti-freedom-of-choice movement is firmly rooted in religious beliefs. Various churches, all of them tax-exempt, are involved in politics. They should lose their tax-exempt status. In fact, all churches, temples, etc., should pay taxes, particularly when their pastors live in huge mansions, fly around in private jets, and live lavish lifestyles.

I also believe there should be freedom from religion. There should be no public prayer in public schools. Religion-based schools of any kind should not receive taxpayer-funded support. If parents wish to send their children to a parochial school, regardless of religion, they -- not taxpayers -- should pay the cost.

I don't care which religion people believe in. But I do not want to have someone's -- anyone's -- religion imposed on me. If you don't believe in gay marriage, fine. Don't marry someone of the same sex. If you don't believe in abortion or birth control, great. Don't have an abortion or use birth control. Just don't try to impose your religious beliefs on me and on others. 

I have Christian friends, Jewish friends, a Muslim friend, agnostic friends, a Buddhist friend. I don't value their friendship because of their religion. We are friends because we have common interests. We are friends because they are good, kind people who treat others, and animals, with respect.

If I wanted to live someplace where a single religion dominates society, I would move to Utah. Or to Israel. Or to Saudi Arabia. But this is not what I, and most people, want. We want to be able to make our own decisions about what we believe, or don't believe. We deserve to be able to make our own medical decisions. We should not be subjected to prayers at the beginning of a sporting event, or a session of Congress, or at any other time or place.

If you want to pray, great. Pray away -- at home or in silence. But public prayer has no place in public events unless it is specifically a religion-based event. Why do people feel a need to make their religious faith a public spectacle? Are they trying to prove how pious they are? 

I don't care what religion, if any, people choose to follow. I simply don't want someone else's religious beliefs imposed on me. 

Under African Skies

Last year I took a 16-day photography trip to the west African country of Namibia.

One night -- thankfully, only one night -- we camped out in a remote location. Each of us was provided a tent, cot, sleeping bag and air mattress. While each piece individually was fine, the combination was not. As a result, I was unable to sleep even for a few hours. Even worse, I slid right off the cot and got wedged between the cot and one wall of the tent. After a struggle, I was able to get up, and I pulled everything off the cot and lay directly on the cot under a couple of blankets. The air mattress was history. But by then, the idea of sleep had left me.

As I lay in my tent, I observed the myriad of stars through the mesh top of the tent. The skies were incredibly clear, and never have I seen so many stars anywhere other than during previous trips to Arica.

The African sky also has the most glorious sunsets I have ever seen. The best ever was in South Africa. It was so magnificent that everyone in my vehicle urgently asked the guide to stop so we could photograph it. The sunset pictured was in Tanzania.

Even daylight sees the skies illuminating a glorious landscape of animals found nowhere else on earth. Giraffes of several species, zebras, baboons, wildebeests, lions, cheetahs, leopards and of course, African elephants live on the continent. There is nothing quite like falling asleep, or waking in the middle of the night, to the sound of a lion roaring.

I first visited Africa several years ago, and I quickly fell in love with the continent. Since then, I have returned a total of 11 times. Some of those trips, most of them in fact, were safaris. But three others took me to the northern African countries of Egypt, Ethiopia and Morocco.

I know that my view of Africa is a gilded one. There is rampant poverty throughout the continent. Society is very patriarchal. Many governments are incredibly corrupt. There are occasional terrorist attacks in Kenya and Nigeria. Civil war has destroyed many in Sudan. 

But the African people I have met have been wonderful, friendly and helpful. I sense that the people I encounter in the safari companies and at the various hotels and lodges where I have stayed truly enjoy their jobs. I have the sense that they aren't just going through the motions as they provide services to their guests.

I love going to Africa, as evidenced by my repeated trips
there. The opportunity to photograph African wildlife and experience the thrill of being close to these magnificent animals is beyond words. I am fortunate to let my cameras do the talking for me.

I can't wait for my next African adventure!

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