Learn About Your Neighbors

A foreign tour guide once told me that the U.S. Constitution was unique in that if provided for freedom “of” religion, not freedom “from” religion.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” We have the right to worship as we see fit. And, with so many faiths enriching our culture, we need to learn about them all.

Recently, I visited the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his father and his grandfather all preached. I’m not a Baptist. In fact, I’m Jewish. But, the impact of Dr. King’s words and the significance of the church moved me as an American. They are part of my heritage 

We have a mosque in our town. When I was a Scout leader, we took the Brownies and the Cubs Scouts to visit. These kids came from a variety of faith backgrounds. The mosque was a new part of the local landscape and, therefore, it was important that they learn about Islam from the source. We have a nearby Mormon temple and a Bahai temple. Our neighbors, our fellow Americans, worship in these holy buildings, too.

It's normal to fear what we don’t understand. It’s also our job as parents and grandparents to allay these fears by helping children learn about one another. That way they won’t fall prey to lies and hate. You don’t need to travel to visit new worlds. Exciting and fascinating faith-based communities exist in our own backyards. They are all part of America. Take advantage of these opportunities in your neighborhoods and learn alongside your children. We will all be better for it.