JEWS BEGIN THE holy day of Yom Kippur with the haunting chant of Kol Nidre, All Vows. This prayer declares that promises made in the past year are null and void. To the uninformed, it may seem that Jews are backing out of solemnly made vows, which has been used for generations to accuse them of being untrustworthy.
However, it refers only to those promises made under duress from governments, especially theocracies, that demanded pledges to convert or otherwise violate their faith. Obviously, any vow taken willingly would never be negated, only those which, if refused, could result in imprisonment, expulsion or death.
Judaism has flourished in America because the Founding Fathers were aware of how a government could become tyrannical when controlled by a religion. The Pilgrims who came to these shores were seeking freedom from religious oppression. However, those very Puritans immediately established a society based on religious absolutism, where secular and religious laws were the same.
Along with the loss of the right to vote, the inability to own property and facing banishment, anyone who did not follow the strict view of their Christian theocracy was also subjected to imprisonment and torture for things like breaking the Sabbath. This religious intolerance reached its pinnacle in the hysteria of the Salem witch trials, resulting in the murder of innocent citizens.
When the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution, they remembered the lessons of Salem and intentionally left out any reference to religion, except to state there would be no religious test for public office. When the states refused to sign the document without a Bill of Rights, the very first amendment included the protection of religious freedom, including that there was to be no government establishment of any religion. Those early Americans had seen what could happen when religious laws were enforced as the law of the land.
We must always be vigilant in protecting our religious freedoms, for without them, we are in danger of becoming a theocracy. Because Jews have endured persecution for millennia as a minority religion, we are particularly aware when these freedoms are in jeopardy.
Today, Jews and Americans of other minority faiths, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, earth-centered and indigenous faiths, are watching with alarm as candidates run for office as legislators and judges, while insisting their particular Christian beliefs will become law, superseding the Constitution.
When school boards insist that curricula be infused with Bible-based lessons, they are essentially mandating that agents of the government (public school teachers) weave a particular faith’s beliefs into their lessons.
So which lessons will they choose … those which emphasize battling “the enemy,” thus denigrating different groups of citizens? Or the lessons that one should take care of the poor, the hungry, the stranger? In our multi-ethnic society, shouldn’t it be acceptable to also incorporate lessons from the Koran or the Buddhist 8 Fold Path? Those states which have been pushing religion in the public sphere, including schools, are clear that only Christianity is welcome.
James Madison warned of the danger of merging government and religion: “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.”
All people of faith see the world through the lens of their beliefs and wish to see their ethical principles accepted in their culture. However, in America, where the Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land, using a specific religious belief to pass laws affecting all citizens violates that cherished document.
At this time of year when someone wishes you “Happy Holidays,” rather than be offended, remember that, from November through January, there are celebrations of 14 different religious holidays. Thus wishing you “Happy Holidays” is a respectful way to acknowledge that one doesn’t know your faith tradition.
Though it is important to actively live one’s faith, it is crucial to do so without violating others’ religious rights. Let those from all faiths in our democracy take a solemn vow to work together in protecting the most vulnerable in our world, thus creating a more compassionate society.
While honoring the deeply held faith of everyone, let us put our common beliefs into action and bring us closer to tikun olam, the repairing of our world.
Kein yehi ratzon … let it be God’s will. Shalom.
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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Suzanne DeBey is a lay leader of the Port Angeles Jewish community. Her email is debeyfam@olympus.net.
