France Bans Public Prayer

http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/sep/16/french-minister-vows-enforce-law-banning-prayer-ou-ar-1399285/

Yesterday I learned that France has banned public prayer - prayer on the streets. Although I don't know the implication of the laws for Jews and Christians (or any religion who finds it acceptable to pray quietly or standing up), this law appears to mostly apply to the Muslim population who spread out mats and bow down on the sidewalk to pray.

This law comes after a string of laws in the last decade aimed at curbing religion in "secular" France. At first the French government took on a role similar to our ACLU - trying to seek out and destroy all religious images that appeared in any "public" setting (read: no crosses at school). In this step they outlawed headscarves that Muslim women wear, but in April they tightened the ban on headscarves to be any where in public at all (as opposed to a public state-run institution).

Although the growing Muslim population in France appears to be the main target of such laws, as Christians and lovers of freedom, it is our responsibility to take a critical look at what is happening over the sea. Of course, I have two main questions when I see these new laws:
1. When are the laws going to crack down on Christian practices? (Like, when will they force any religious institution out of the country or keep people from going to church)
2. Laws like these targeting a religious group appear eerily similar to laws the Germans used to target the Jews. It has been less than a century since World War II. Does no one else notice the similarities? (By the way - even Germany itself has been issuing disturbing comments about its Muslim population).

Of course, disturbing to me as this law is, I find almost more disturbing the comments I read about it - comments mostly made by Americans. (Note: I read an article yesterday that was not the link I posted. When I posted the link, there were no comments on that particular article.) I'd like to address those comments here because I think that people in the free world need a splash of cold water in the face to see that something like this happening in France is to be pitied not emulated.

First of all, a popular and apparently reasonable comment was that the pray-ers were taking up city space and sidewalk space. This comment doesn't appear to be malicious towards religion but applauding the practicality of the law. However, even this reasonable comment deserves attention. Here in America I have seen many instances where large groups of people take up sidewalk space for various reasons. We allow protesters and people who pray outside of abortion clinics. We have TV's in public where people may gather if there is breaking news. Funeral processions are led through the streets by police, slowing down traffice. And if there was overflow at a church because of a popular speaker, wedding, or funeral, I have no doubt people would be standing in the streets. Now, we have some ordinances, like in the case of people praying at abortion clinics, that people cannot block sidewalks or loiter. And common decency dictates that you try to stay out of the way. But if France had issued an ordinance saying you cannot block a sidewalk when you pray it would be different than banning praying in public. Some pictures I saw showed the pray-ers crowded into an alley with cars, filling the alley up. Now, if those cars were not theirs this does present a problem, but we don't know all the facts. Perhaps they drove the cars to the mosque. Perhaps they jump up and get out of the way when the car owner comes back. If they are not blocking the car's way, I see no problem with their praying in the alley.

Another comment that popped up was that there are similar laws in many Muslim countries that target Christians. While that is the case, it doesn't seem to stand to reason that non-Muslim countries must be equally as brutal. What ever happened to turning the other cheek? We must protect the freedoms of the people we disagree with as well as the people we agree with. How will Muslims come to know Christian love if we prevent them from practicing their religion? This is perhaps the touchiest part of the issue for me. We have heard for years about theocracies in Muslim countries and dictatorships in the middle east. I disagree with their government and the burdens they place on their people. But when we talk about France we are talking about a democracy - an ally of the United States - that at least pretends to advocate freedom. Further, when people in the United States show support for such policies, they are undermining our own Constitution which protects freedom of religion! We cannot force freedoms in other countries, but we can protect them in our own.

The last set of comments were usually the most mean-spirited. You know those commentators who sprinkle their comments with cuss words and crudities? People who write comments like these usually use arguments that imply you are an idiot if you disagree. In the case of this article, the comments tended to be along the lines of, "Religion is stupid for anyone," "Islam should not force people to pray," "The Muslims are trying to force their religion on me," and "I get so disgusted when I see those people praying - I should not have to see that."

As to comments like the first two I listed, who is anyone to judge what another religion teaches? We can disagree as reasonable people without resorting to insults. But it is the second two comments that were more common and more disturbing. We already have a group of people in America who think that someone practicing his religion is the same as that person forcing his religion on someone else. But there is no force. The observer isn't even technically forced to see it. He can see someone praying and walk the other way. But if he chooses to watch, that does not mean he is being forced into the religion itself. Perhaps it is the inner workings of his own heart that make him so adverse to public displays of religion. The self-described atheist may feel as though he's missing the poing of something higher than himself. A religion that has high moral values - such as modest dress, temperance, charity, and self-control - may threaten his way of living for the moment. Still, this is not forcing anything upon him. And, of course, those of us in other religions should watch out - Muslims are in the spotlight now. How long until it is Christians?

Besides, what about religious people who have atheistic ideas "forced" on them? The morals of atheism are much more prevalent and forceful in today's society than any display of prayer or religious artwork. For instance, on movies and TV we see immoral behavior and are told to accept it. People dress in immodest clothing in broad daylight. News organizations and schools teach a science that leaves no room for God. Is this not forcing atheistic ideas on us? I find these trends more disturbing than seeing someone bow down for prayer, even if it is a different religion than I practice.

One more item. I have heard a lot of support in America for banning headscarves, and I disagree with these laws as I do with the law banning prayer. But the reason most Americans support the law is because they feel the headscarves are demeaning to women and "we have moved past that." But who are we to judge a woman's religion? While it is true, I am sure, that some women in this culture do not choose to wear the scarf of their own free will, most do. Most consider it a sign of obedience and modesty. I look at anti-headscarf laws as I would look at a law that said all women must wear short skirts and bikinis in public. I would be upset and threatened if I was told I could not dress modestly - and it would keep me indoors. Laws against headscarves in public could keep many educated Muslim women from pursuing careers and leading otherwise normal lives, simply because they believe strongly in their sense of modesty! Religion and culture are interwined, and it is true that many of these women grew up learning about the codes of dress in their religion. But that does not make them brainwashed any more than any Christian, Jew, or Buddhist is brainwashed by his parents. Once we are adults, we are all free to choose whether to continue in the religion of our parents or move on to something else.

Overall, I think Americans need to take a look at this law and consider how they would like it applied to themselves. As Christians we should stand with the Muslim community on this one, before the tables turn and the government comes after us. As Americans of all religions - including atheists - we should consider our freedoms - free speech, freedom of expression, freedom of religion - and know that one day each of us will be in the minority. We will all, at one time or another, have an unpopular view. We protect our freedoms not because we all like each other and like to listen to each others thoughts. We protect them because it is the right thing to do.