Giving Up Church For Lent

     Page Two Hundred Twenty.
     I recently ran into a friend who gave up church for Lent. I'm not kidding. I truly thought she was joking when she told me, but she wasn't. She said that it really hurt her too. She felt terribly deprived by not being able to worship freely and in a manner with which she felt comfortable. After hearing her speak for a moment, I realized her point.

     Can you imagine not being able to worship God in the manner to which you are accustomed or to be ostracized for it? We all know that this has happened countless times over the centuries and in various societies. Also, of course, it still is happening. In the news recently I heard a story about Christians who are harassed in certain Asian countries for praying as they do; Jews have a long history of receiving intolerance and Moslems in Western countries have been the recipients of definite  prejudices since 9.11. And this isn't even to mention the Atheists or Humanists who are force-fed God and organized religion period by extremely ignorant friends or associates. We just can't let people pray, or not, as they see fit, in peace. The more I think about it, the more I respect my friend's decision to give up church for Lent. It really is a sacrifice for her.
     How many people would go to another religion's house of worship for 6 weeks, to the exclusion of their own religion, just to gain a sense of gratitude for their own freedom of worship? Not very many, though they 'd be much less prejudiced afterwards.