Daily Oklahoman

Seems like someone needs a religous monument in his front yard. Jim Green and the ACLU really need to get over themselves. I say the money that would have been spent on this rediculous event be spent on puting a religous monument on every street corner in Stigler and in front of every business downtown. And heck, to make it even better, one in everyones front yard. I wonder how offended people like Jim Green get when they drive by a church. They probably go out of their way to avoid it. How sad are they.
God Loves you Jim Green.

A religious monument on the courthouse lawn? If that doesn’t scream government endorsing religion, then I don’t know what does. Perhaps we should make the county slogan something along the lines of “Haskell County. Where only Christians matter! Period.” I’m sure someone would think of some way to deem that non-religious. Does this mean that if a group of a different faith gets enough power they can put up monuments that feature items from their religion? By “different faith” I mean someone other than another type of Christian. I’ve come across that confusion before. I can’t wait to see the first monument featuring images of Buddha, Vishnu (Hindu) or even a Pagan Pentacle (who are not Satanists, by the way, there is a difference) on the courthouse lawn. I bet the Christians wouldn’t let that stay for long. It’s amazing how, if a particular faith is in power (meaning followed by the majority in a location, however faithfully or not), then exerting that power to do things that fly in the face of others beliefs is perfectly fine, even humorous. I do not find that humorous in the slightest. I find it quite disturbing in a deep down heart wrenching kind of way. What this tells me about the county is that it really doesn’t care. I feel very sorry for those of other faiths residing in Haskell County having to endure such a visible slap in the face. Trust me; I was one of those people. I saw first hand what a “good Christian community” can do to people like me who are not part of the Christian majority. This is the primary reason I no longer live there. As I thought then and this event reinforces, no one in Haskell County really seems to care. The world is full of other beliefs (by quite an overwhelming majority, I might add) so it might be in the best interests of the citizens of Haskell County to start acting like it. Freedom of religion applies to all religions and beliefs, not just the one that happens to be popular in that area.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Haskell County. I grew up there. Many of the people I hold dear to me happily reside there. I will be back many, many times. It would just be nice if I wasn’t insulted every time I drove around there. It’s things like this that serve as a thorn in the side of others with differing beliefs and make the rift between them and the Christians wider and wider. Hmm…let me think of another area where religion rules…Oh, that’s right, the Middle East. We all see how well that’s going right now.

Besides, doesn’t Haskell County have anything better to do?

I’m sure some who disagree will call me a “sinner” or worse (I have heard it many times before, to my face). Let me pre-empt that attack. One must follow the same faith as the person doing that kind of attacking in order for it to be effective. How does it feel if someone tells a Christian they are not a good Buddhist? (meaning that the criticism is pointless due to lack of a common belief system)