Religious Freedom in the Age of Trump

The Donald has been busy again with his mouth.  First it was the Mexican rapists and murderers and now once more it is the Muslims.  Not long ago he stated that mosques should be shut down.  Now he thinks that we should ban all Muslims from entering the country.  His thought process runs to the side of separatists and that is never good for our nation.  Especially, if you are the one being targeted.

Thomas Jefferson battled the likes of Trump back in his day in the great state of Virginia.  He was the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom that passed in 1786.  This statute separated the recognized church from the state.  That same statute was used to write the Constitution of the United States of America.  His thoughts on religious freedom were heavily influenced by John Locke who spoke on the subject in England in 1689.  Locke, like Jefferson fought for peoples right to religious freedom which was for the Muslim, the Jew, and even the Pagan.  Jefferson much like Locke used the word Muslim in defense of and for religious freedom.

Flip the coin on the subject and insert Baptist or Catholic or Jew instead of Muslim.  Could any politician get away with even suggesting that their house of worship be shut down?  Could any politician get elected by banning any of them from entering our country?  Why would it be even remotely okay to even suggest to shut down all mosques or ban all Muslims from coming to America?

How fast would you as a Baptist, a Catholic, or a Jew be up in arms protesting and demanding any politician to step down from the race for President that would suggest such an action against your faith?  Would it be faster if the military starting boarding up your house of worship?  Would you take up arms to defend your religious freedom?  That my friends is what Trump wants to accomplish.  Divide you and separate you and tell you who to fear.  He's up in the polls? 

As Bernie Sanders said recently... "That kind of crap is not going to work in the United States of America."