By Billy S. Garland
Today’s world is one that is vastly different from that of the previous generation. There was a time in which America was considered to be a Christian nation. Former President Woodrow Wilson is quoted as saying, “America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of the Holy Scripture.”
Serving as an example of the drastic evolution that our nation has undergone, our current president, Barack Obama, said in a Turkish Press Conference held in April, “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.” This drastic change has led to more and more conversations about what is appropriate and how much Christianity should be allowed into our lives.
Here at the University of Louisville, a similar conversation is building over two simple words at the end of an e-mail: God Bless.
SGA President O.J. Oleka recently took office after defeating Batman and Robin in the heated and contested SGA elections last year. Despite his taking-on of a hefty list of goals for his term, his most noticed and talked about action so far seems to be the way he signs his e-mails with this arguably innocuous conclusion.
In speaking with him, Oleka seemed more amused than bothered by the issue.
“When I send out those e-mails, I certainly don’t mean to offend anyone,” said Oleka. “It’s kind of my way of saying ‘best wishes.'”
He admits that he has always been an “unabashed Baptist Christian,” and that if you were to call either his cell or office voice mail you would undoubtedly get the same salutation just before the beep.
So, the question is submitted: Is this appropriate behavior for a Student Body President who represents a widely diverse student body?
This is definitely a difficult question. What seems more difficult, at least to this writer, is establishing where we will draw the line if we continue to strip away the individual’s right and ability of free speech.
It would seem that every day our culture becomes more and more focused on the supposed separation of church and state. Nevertheless, presidents continue to take their oaths while resting their hands on the Bible. Courts still swear in witnesses this way as well. The mob screams for the sidelining of our moral and religious foundations, then turns around and swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, on the same leather-bound pages as our forefathers.
It must also be recognized that while our student body is widely diverse, so are the definitions of this phrase. Despite his admitted connection with Christianity, Oleka’s well-wishing conclusion in no way suggests one identity for the God who would do the blessing. The name God could apply to any higher power, whether it is Jesus or Allah. This phrase at no point attempts to push any religious ideology on the recipient of the message. Why then is this well-intentioned statement so dangerous? It isn’t. What is dangerous are the continued efforts of those who would take offense at anything they don’t agree with, systematically reducing and destroying our inherent right to free speech.
Again I ask: Where do we draw the line? Must we lay aside tradition for each new idea? Must we extinguish polite utterances like “God bless” in the interest of political correctness? If so, then I say to you: Sneeze at your own risk.
