As ChristianFighterPilot.com has noted before, the fight for Christian religious freedom will sometimes have consequences that not all Christians have fully considered.  In the previous article on Wiccans, we noted that if Christians (and Buddhists, and Eckankarians, and others) can have symbols on their VA-funded plaques, then Wiccans probably should, too.  This may create an uncomfortable position for some Christians, particularly those who sincerely believe that the US should ultimately be a Christian nation.  Feelings notwithstanding, when Constitutional protections are won for a Christian, they are also won for those with whom Christians may disagree.

In a recent article on this subject, the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State gleefully pointed out some apparent Christian hypocrisy.  A few months ago some Christian Virginia students were refused permission to advertise their Vacation Bible School through a “backpack folder” program that their school used to distribute notices and information.  According to The Hook, a local paper, the school reversed its decision when the Liberty Counsel advised them that it was inappropriate to prohibit religious material.

Now, one Christian blogger has been offended after receiving flyers about upcoming pagan events in her son’s backpack.  Another, while acknowledging the ‘equal rights’ of any organization to capitalize on the distribution system, views the ‘authorized’ pagan advertising as yet another reason for Christians to pull their kids out of public school.

The AU is reveling in this ‘scandalous affair’ of Christians being offended by the ‘hard-fought religious freedoms’ won by other Christians.  They’ve dubbed it “Falwell’s Flub,” since the Liberty Counsel is affiliated with Jerry Falwell, in spite of the fact that The Hook article (that the AU also quoted) clearly stated that the Liberty Counsel was well aware that others would desire—and would be allowed—to use the same freedoms that the LC won for the Vacation Bible School.  The AU article closed with this:

Your pals Falwell and Staver have opened up this forum, and now everyone gets to use it. Isn’t that what you wanted all along—freedom of religion? That freedom means all religions—even ones you don’t happen to like. 

Though the AU sounds pompous and belittles Christianity, it makes a point that the Liberty Counsel—and ChristianFighterPilot.com—have stressed.  A religious freedom ‘victory’ for a Christian is also a ‘victory’ for every other faith-type group, and Christians need to understand the impact of that proposition.  Christians are certainly free to take offense at and disagree with other groups, but they should strive to ensure that they are informed when they do so.

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