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Stand up and fight for your faith

I’m tired of being discriminated against. I’m tired of keeping my mouth shut and “being nice.” I’m a Christian, and I’m angry.

You may have heard about the controversy surrounding Arkansas State University after a lawyer complained that the cross on the team’s helmets violated the U.S. Constitution. The small cross decal was chosen by the team to memorialize a former player and former equipment manager, both of whom were Christians. But an attorney saw the symbol as a potential lawsuit and now the players have been told to remove it or deface it by turning it into a plus sign.

There are thousands of churches in Trumbull County. This number does not take into account the number of synagogues or mosques or other houses of faith. I understand, according to the Fox News article by Todd Starnes, that 19 percent of the United States population is “non-religious.”

I have friends who are atheists and others who simply do not practice any religion. They are aware that I am a Christian. While I am quite vocal about my religious beliefs, I do not force feed my faith down anyone’s throat. And they don’t try to tell me why they think I’m wrong. It’s called friendship. It’s called acceptance.

There is an awful lot of talk about acceptance these days, but I fear that Christians are being left out.

“It’s time that we as Christians stand up and say we’re tired of being pushed around,” said Barry Weyer Sr., father of the football player who passed away and was honored by the cross decal. “We’re tired of having to bow down to everyone else’s rights. What happened to our rights? The last time I checked it said freedom of religion – not freedom from religion.”

We can’t pray in school. Workers are not permitted to say “Merry Christmas,” even when surrounded by Christmas trees, candy canes and other symbols of Christianity. Religion is not allowed in our government, but we continually see our government in our religion.

According to the Washington Times, Catholic adoption agencies closed down in Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., because their religious beliefs about marriage weren’t acceptable in their jurisdictions. In Michigan, a graduate student was expelled from a counseling program because of her religious beliefs. Christian pharmacists in Illinois were asked to leave the profession because their beliefs about when life begins differed from the state.

Why are we allowing this? Not just Christians, but anyone of any faith or those with none at all. This is America. We are all different. That means that we need to be accepting of others.

However, I’m going to go one step further and call out all Christians in all of the churches in this county as well as everyone of the Jewish faith in this Valley. How do you expect to keep your religious freedoms if you don’t use them? I am personally appalled at the sheer number of people who say “OMG” and the last word isn’t “goodness” or “golly.” How can you sin so readily, yet expect people to take you seriously?

In standing up for your faith, you should stand in your faith. Hold hands with your family and pray over a meal – whether you are at home or in a restaurant. Say “God bless you” when someone sneezes. Do not be afraid to vocalize your love of God.

Let’s take back our religious beliefs and principles on which this country was founded. I am not asking those who don’t believe to join me, I am only requesting that they accept me for who I am and allow me the inalienable right to praise my God in public, even if simply by placing a small cross decal on my football helmet to honor a Christian friend who passed away.

Harley is a Girard resident. Email her at editorial@tribtoday.com.

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