In the past decade, a war has broken out in America. It’s important to point out that, in this war, no shots have been fired, no airstrikes have been called and no one has actually died.
In the past decade, a war has broken out in America. It’s important to point out that, in this war, no shots have been fired, no airstrikes have been called and no one has actually died. But, it’s a war, or at least that’s what some politicians want you to think.
Texas Governor Rick Perry first brought this so called “war” to light in the 2012 Presidential Elections in his presidential ad titled “Strong.”
In the ad, Perry says he’s “not ashamed to admit that I’m a Christian but you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know that there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As president, I’ll end Obama’s war on religion.”
America’s war on religion, which is also referred to as America’s war on Christianity, seemed to have started when President Barack Obama was elected back in 2008 as a way for the Republican Party to gain back political power that had been lost after the Bush administration.
This “war” is nothing more than a way for politicians to gain ground in elections.
A war is what is happening between Israel and Palestine, where tens of thousands of people have lost their lives. A war is not the same thing as telling a public school teacher they cannot throw a class Christmas party.
Politicians like to say that religion as a whole is under attack but the discussion almost always seems to circle back to Christianity.
It’s a mystery as to why some people think that out of all of the religions represented in America that the largest and most powerful one is somehow suffering the most. According to a Gallup poll, 77 percent of Americans identify as Christian, and according to pewforum.org, 86 percent of Congress is either Catholic or Protestant.
Christianity is not suffering, it’s thriving. These politicians try to make it seem as though being a Christian is a long and painful road full of segregation and judgment when that is clearly not the case.
Compare Christianity in America to Islam in America. When is the last time a church or Christian school was in the news for being attacked for its religious affiliation? Being Christian in America is in no way as difficult as being Muslim in America.
On Aug. 7, 2012, pig legs were thrown onto the site of an Islamic center in southern California and on Aug. 12, 2012, an acid bomb was thrown into a Muslim school in Illinois.
With the 2014 senate elections approaching in November, ads similar to Perry’s will most likely be playing on televisions across the country.
It is important for voters to realize that the war on Christianity is nothing more than a scare tactic used to get votes. All these political figureheads are doing is targeting what people cherish most — their faith — and telling them they can save it from a threat that doesn’t actually exist.
Gabby McDaris is a freshman studying screenwriting. Do you think there is a war on religion? Email her at gm573913@ohio.edu
