As most of you know, I have many disagreements with organized religion. I believe that they could not exist if they were not in fact cults. I consider myself a spiritual man who agrees with the basic precepts of most religions, including Christianity, the religion of Islam, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists. However, all religions were created by ambitious men. They likely believed in many of the principles they taught their followers, but because they were only mortal men, they found it impossible not to include their personal beliefs and prejudices to be at the core of their doctrine.

Religions are the base cause for most wars and mass deaths throughout history. One religion is at the core of why my beloved country is divided today. Although our founding fathers rejected organized religion, one party has surrendered to one religion for a single purpose; obtaining votes in their efforts to win elections.

Christians deny women’s equality by denying them the right to make decisions about their own bodies. Catholics refuse to allow women to be priests and claim that the use of artificial birth control is a mortal sin. Jews and Muslims separate men and women in their services. Women are unequal according the eyes of their leaders. Today’s evangelicals are simply hypocrites. They claim to believe in the bible while they deny the teachings of Jesus Christ. Until this very day, they denounced any man as unfit for the presidency if he had been divorced. Today, they support the most immoral man in the United States. Although Trump has had multiple affairs, he is a proven sexist and a sexual predator, they have given him a ‘Mulligan.’ They claim that at 71, he is a ‘changed man.’ I call ‘bullshit;’ I know a little about that age group; Trump is three weeks older than me. Trump is the same man he was at age 18 when he entered college. The only differences are increased arrogance and ego.

If you feel that you need instruction about how to live a life of spirituality and compassion, join a religion. If you do not, join the growing number of Americans who do not reject the precepts of religion, but refuse to allow another man to control their daily lives.

As long as organized religions exist, women will be denied equality. Men cannot resist taking control of the lives of the most vulnerable.

But the ‘times, they are a-changing.’ 2018 has been the first legitimate ‘year of the woman.’ It began with the ‘Women’s March on Washington’ on January 21, 2017. Around the world millions of women gave notice that they were no longer demanding equality; they were going to take it. Old, white men have failed the one demographic which controls the world in every statistic. 

Here in America, women outnumber men. Women control the majority of our nation’s wealth. More women are enrolled in our colleges and universities for the first time in history than men. Women are both registering to vote in larger numbers than men, they are also leading the way in declaring their candidacy for public office. Women are at the forefront of encouraging voter registration. They know that a large turnout in November is a win for the majority of Americans.

Special interests can spend their billions attempting to elect hypocritical Republicans, but they cannot win if we simply go to the polls in record numbers.

Their time is past. Patriotic men and women can retake their country from the enemy; GOP politicians.

November 6^th could be the single day needed to begin and end the second American Revolution.

Op-ed by James Turnage

SOURCE

Image courtesy of Art Gallery ErgsArt-by Erg Sap

My five novels are available on the free Amazon Kindle app; CLICK HERE