MIKE INGLES
Let us play “suppose.”
Suppose in America there was no 1st Amendment; specifically, that we had no prohibition to establishing a government religion.
And suppose the Catholics decided to run candidates in every political office. It could just as easily be protestants or Mormons or anti-baptist. I’m not against Catholics, I am one, unless I’ve been kicked out? Again. Suppose, it was not an overt action, but done quietly, pew to pew, neighbor to neighbor, comrade to comrade. And it took years to facilitate.
Suppose the Catholics had an agenda; suppose they hoped to accomplish something noble (in their minds) like putting an end to abortion. Although, they are only 1/3 of us or so, they realized that if they banned together, voted as a block, they could control things pretty nicely, thank you, and they could make up other laws, such as Fish on Friday or no drinking after dark and never wear white after Labor Day.
Suppose, they were successful. Suppose they ended up controlling both houses of congress and the presidency and, for good measure, they decided it would just make good sense to make all the generals and admirals and CIA folks, Catholic appointees.
Fish on Fridays?
Now (I know this is a stretch—but), suppose that Ireland was the strongest military force in the world. And, being a Catholic nation, they supported the Catholic political uprising in America and secretly sent in their CIA to begin protests that supported Catholic men and women with guns and money and ambitions.
Now, suppose that this really happened, not in America but in a land far far away.
Iraq, was governed by a political/religious party the “Sunni” even though they represented only about a 1/3 of their population. I’ll leave history to report the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein and the integral part that the United States (or Ireland) played in establishing the Ba’ath Party (or Catholics). I’m done supposing and now just want to wonder.
Wonder what is going to happen now that the Shia (Protestants) are in charge in Iraq? Wonder if all that suppression that was done by the Catholics Sunni, in the past will cause retribution? Wonder if the Catholics will take to the streets?
Wonder if people will be murdered and car-bombs will explode and if Ireland will send in Drones? Wonder if religion will be the cause of yet another bloody civil-war and wonder if we can afford to sit back and watch? Wonder if Allah is watching?
Fish? Anyone.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Ingles is a political commentator based in Ohio but with a global roving eye.
