Reprint from 2009 called "Freedom of Religion" from this website

 

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Freedom of Religion

I was told when I grew up in Washington and California in the 1950s that we in America believed in Freedom of Religion. But that wasn't my experience. In the 1950s as long as you were a regularly recognized Protestant Christian or a Catholic it was okay. That was Freedom of Religion. But God help you if you were not a recognized Protestant denomination or a Catholic because if you were you could lose your job, your home or die. If you told people what you were it was potentially dangerous.

Today it both has and hasn't changed. It appears to have changed but that is only a surface illusion. If you are a religion or religious preference other than Christian you have to be very very careful and it might be helpful not to tell people what your religion is if you want to be successful in your business.

Yes. Freedom of religion works better here in America and especially in places like big East Coast Cities or Chicago or Los Angeles or San Francisco or Portland or Seattle. In fact I would say the West Coast of the United States from San Diego to Santa Barbara might be the most open place on earth in regard to Freedom of religion. Some would argue that the entire West Coast of the United States is the most open to other nationalities and religions of any place on earth. Whether you think this is good or bad is of course your own view. I think this comes from the pioneer spirit among Westerners and West Coasters. Some believe other things. But since I was raised from age 4 in San Diego and Los Angeles Counties until I was 21 I am pretty loyal to California since that experience. Even though I consider Southern California "Controlled Chaos" and not for the faint of heart to say the least, I still think some of the best ideas for the ongoing survival of the human race will always come from San Diego to San Francisco. But then again I mostly grew up in California so I think California is great.