Is it better to be a Christian or a Muslim in Harrison County?

A few weeks ago, Board of Education candidates were discussing the "Head of Christ" portrait hanging in the corridor of Bridgeport High School.

We Christians believe that our religion is one of Peace and Love. One fellow, adamant in his righteousness, said that if anybody desired to take that picture down he would meet him in the parking lot after the public meeting. That was not an invitation to prayer but an invitation to be beat up by someone who disagreed with you

Muslimism has been described in the press as being a religion of Peace and Love. The week before the meeting described above, many millions of my countryman were outraged to hear that an Afghanistan man was to be put to death because of his conversion to Christianity. Other than a difference in degree (death vs getting beat-up) there is no difference between the implementation of these two religions of Peace and Love as advanced by the people involved.

The difference in America is the U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights which would make such behavior as murdering or beating up people with whom you have a religious difference a crime. The courts have interpreted the constitution in such a manner as to ensure that religion is a matter of conscience. And on matters of conscience there is no such thing as majority rule.

One might think that the whole debate over this portrait thing would lead to an opportunity by the community leaders to re-teach this generation of adults the meaning of civics. Ironically, a government board with the word "Education" in its title proposes to play on the ignorance of an impassioned group rather than do what they think they do best, which would be to educate. That in itself is reason enough to vote them all out of office.