Back of the bus vs. Rosa Parks - pretty simple and straight forward.

Would it surprise you to learn there are some FORTY MILLION atheists (depending on how you count "non-religious" peoples - the BBC did a poll that would peg the number at just under thirty million) in this country?

What's wrong with including everyone?

By the same token, I would consider it a more "gutsy" move if space were allowed for other religions. If you acknowledge one, you have to acknowledge all or you're showing favoritism. I know this also opens up the whole "what constitutes a religion" can of worms.

If you've never been in the minority, I can't explain how it feels. And then to be told to shut up and swallow it?

I'll give you an example. My ex-wife is pagan. Without going into details, it's not Satan worship or anything like that. It's more the New Age touchy-feely stuff. They call themselves Wiccans - yes, witches. (FYI - A male witch? Is called a 'witch' - 'warlock' is a translation from an old word for 'traitor')

In the pre-internet days we used to chat on a series of BBS's that were linke up worldwide. You'd dial into a 'local' number and youre messages would be 'echoed' throughout the network during overnight phone calls between the systems.

The owner of the 'local system' was a Christian. We didn't think much of it since most Christians we knew were ordinary people (I'm an ex-Catholic myself). But something he said one day sent a chill down my spine. He said that he thought it was ok to kill my wife except that there were civic laws against it. Since the Bible said "Thou shalt not suffer a 'witch' to live.". It didn't matter that the word "witch" was deliberately mistranslated form the greek "pharmaika", which means "poisoner".

Think about that a moment.

Think of what it would be like for you, as a good Christian, to live in some place like Saudi Arabia. All around you, Muslims saying "majority rules".

We are not a democracy. We are a representative republic and have charged our government with treating people EQUALLY.