THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Sharia law … the hair on the back of Nancy Kelleher’s neck bristles on edge at even the thought of it. Although she can’t fully explain what it is, Nancy knows from tuning into her favorite talk radio and TV programs throughout the day to be deeply fearful of it. After all, she doesn’t want anyone coming to America to take away the cherished freedoms that our beloved country was founded upon.

Nancy had already been getting increasingly agitated because of all of the different liberal interest groups, which talk radio tells her are pushing for special rights to take her country away from her. But now all this talk about Islam, Sunnis, Shiites, ISIS, and sharia law are terrifying to Nancy. She had previously felt threatened by Hispanic and Latino immigration and border safety issues. But her daytime talk radio programs and her favorite cable TV programs are now filled with horrific tales regarding how Muslims are threatening our shores to take America away from her.

Therefore Nancy wants to protect America. This is reasonable because she is all for the freedoms that our nation provides for her, her family, and the other friends and families that she knows. Also she wants to protect America’s freedoms because she is a patriot. A visit to Nancy’s neighborhood on any Independence Day will easily confirm this. She and the other families who reside in her cul-de-sac patriotically display their American flags every Fourth of July. Furthermore she and Bob taught their now grown children, from their very youngest years, to love our nation with all of their beings.

So now Nancy is fretful about our nation’s future. Consequently she wonders how things in our nation could have gone so horribly wrong. This has caused Nancy to discuss the situation, including her fears, with her favorite conversationalist and prayer partner, Elizabeth. Lizzy, as Nancy calls her, frequently displays a serene calmness that Nancy often wishes she could have. At times, this annoys Nancy because it causes her to privately wonder if Lizzy is somehow more spiritual than she is, even though Nancy considers herself to be a very committed spiritual person. This is partially evidenced by how much Nancy watches and listens to her favorite TV and radio programs, which are filled with spiritual topics. Even though Nancy is at times annoyed by Lizzy’s serenity, she frequently seeks Lizzy’s opinions and respects them because of it.

“Lizzy you don’t seem to be as afraid about America’s safety as I am. Why is that?” Nancy blurted out with great concern in her voice. “Why, what do you mean Nancy?” Elizabeth said, as she was somewhat startled by how worked up Nancy had become at that moment. “You know!” Nancy responded. “The Arabs, the Mexicans, and the liberals, right here in our country, are all trying to take away our freedoms. I’ve been hearing on the radio that they are now pushing for sharia law to become the law of the land, right here in America.”

“Calm down honey. That’s not going to happen,” Elizabeth said, as she hugged Nancy to reassure her.

“But I’d feel so much better Lizzy if our government would pass more laws based on our churches’ positions; like having mandatory prayer in our schools to protect our religious freedoms,” Nancy said in a tear-filled tone.

“Why Nancy, that wouldn’t protect religious freedoms. It would do just the opposite, by enforcing our religious views upon others,” Elizabeth responded as she deliberately lowered her voice in an attempt to further calm Nancy.

“But prayer in school and anywhere else is a good thing!” Nancy said in a raised voice in defense of herself.

“You’re absolutely right,” Elizabeth responded. “And children can pray in school right now if they want to. But no adult in school can force them to pray or force them regarding how to pray, which is what sharia law would do. You see our government is not a theocracy, full of God’s rules as interpreted by whoever happens to be in power. Instead our government is a democracy which guarantees peaceful freedom for all of our citizens, regardless of our different views. Nancy, you wouldn’t want to live here under sharia law. And there are others living here who wouldn’t want to live here under what we would prefer as some religious laws, no matter how good we would believe them to be.”

“I never thought of it that way before,” Nancy said in a somewhat calmer tone.

Elizabeth continued, “Our democracy is a land of freedom for everyone. Freedom is the greatest gift that any of us can have, second only to the gift of life itself. Freedom is so precious that we will send our sons and daughters to fight and even die to protect it. Nancy, having the right to choose doesn’t always mean that we will always choose right. But even so, we all still want the right to choose. And to keep that right for ourselves, we must willingly give that same right to others; regardless of whether they are religious or nonreligious, or conservative or liberal.”

Rev. Tony Pierce is co-senior pastor at Heaven’s View Christian Followship and CEO of Heaven’s View Community Development Corp., cited as one of Illinois’ top 20 faith-based community development paradigns.