A letter I wrote to the Lewiston Morning Tribune

There is a war on religion being quietly waged in the United States, but it's not the war the far right likes to pretend is being waged against them.  It's a war being waged against the religious freedoms of non Christians and eroding the First Amendment.  
You see, this is America, where freedom of religion is protected by the Constitution.  I have the right to pray to a kumquat if I so choose.
I do not, however, have the right to make others live according to the kumquat's rules.  Nor do I have the right to make your children pray to the kumquat in school. 
I have the right to quietly pray to my kumquat whenever and where ever I so choose.  I have the right to live my life according to the kumquats tenants.  If I believe the kumquat doesn't want me to pet dogs, then I will not pet dogs.  If it offends me to see other people pet dogs, I will quietly pray to the kumquat to forgive them.  I will not petition the government for laws forbidding people from petting dogs.  I will not get upset that schools do not stop class and make everyone sit quietly while my kids pray to the kumquat. 
Christians are not being oppressed by laws that protect my children from sitting through their prayers.  Christians are not being oppressed by gay people getting married.  Christians are not being oppressed by people having abortions. 
Oppression would be shutting down churches and teaching kids in school that Christianity is bad.  Oppression would be forcing abortions on people who don't want them.  Oppression would be banning the cross from public display and forcing children to remove their cross at school.  These things are not happening in America.
I have come to view this election as a deciding point in American history, between reason and religious extremism; democracy and theocracy.  I am voting for reason.  I am voting Democrat.