Merry Christmas

One of the Democracy Project site's strength is its true respect for all religious heritages. As James Madison, the Father of our Constitution, wrote in his Memorial and Remonstrance:

Because finally, "the equal right of every citizen to the free exercise of his Religion according to the dictates of conscience" is held by the same tenure with all our other rights. If we recur to its origin, it is equally the gift of nature; if we weigh its importance, it cannot be less dear to us; if we consult the "Declaration of those rights which pertain to the good people of Virginia, as the basis and foundation of Government," it is enumerated with equal solemnity, or rather studied emphasis.

Our nation is unique for its ability to respect and abide the religious and cultural traditions of all its citizens, which is something uniquely different than our friends in Iraq, and the greater Middle East, who by and large have not learned that they will be able to exercise their religious freedoms more effectively if they stopped forcing other Iraqis into believing the way they do. But perhaps, this situation would be less of a problem, if the Americans had protested more fervently when the Iraqis demanded that Islam be the central doctrine that guides all legislation in Iraqi's new government.

A quick read of the Iraqi constitution reveals that we are reaping what we sow in Iraq for our failure to head the words and wisdom of our founding fathers who established a system that has worked for over 200 years.

For those Christians living in the Middle East, unable to live in governments that respect your faith, Merry Christmas. Do know that millions of us are praying for you.