I think seperation of state and religion is a unattainable utopic . Every secular state has a one major religion or two . And it will always affect policy but i don't see the problem as long as it doesn't force the other religion to believe. Circular countries tend to behave like owner of the apartment who let his guys stay but still makes it clear his boss . A state can through neva be seperate from religion because atheism in it self is kinda of a religion. Early ideas of Secularism originates from Calvinism but even then i believe secularism is a separation of statevand religion but a separation of state authority and religious authority .
Iv watchd several videos ..it looks like uve been searching for the truth for so long ..but i also hv a feeling you already know the truth ..ur just struggling to believe it..some things u will see only when you believe ....i hope u get wht im saying .. smday soon
@@danielakalamudo4360 Atheism is not a religion. Atheists (as I am) just don't believe in god. We don't have rituals, or prayers or even sacred texts. I don't know if separation of State and Church is an utopia. But I think we should maintain it as much as possible. Laws shouldn't be based on faith but on reason. I tink whe should base the laws on this : We are human beings, we all live our life and die one day. Other human beings will live after us, and will die too. That is the thing we have in common, watever our beliefs, our religion or non religion. How do we manage to live together as a society, even if we are all different ? How do we manage to make our time on earth as good as possible for everyone ? How do we manage to let a good legacy to the humans that come after us?
Sadly his only solution is to remove all mention of GOD from everything in America although that really is not a solution to a problem cause he has not established that believing in GOD is a problem etc !!!
You do realize the God of "In God We Trust " says in his Word the Bible that same sex behavior is a sin ( in the New Testament no less ) and frowns on such behavior right question mark !! Read Romans 1 : 26- 32 ! Now the good news ; God says you can get to Heaven by doing these two things and PS it is free and easy !! Read Romans 10; 9 and 10 the Bible Gods Word !!
@@danielrisk5731 Sorry but you didn't do your research correctly! It was a translated incorrectly and it used to be that a man should not lay with a boy or young man as he does with a woman. It was a reference to pedophilia. Btw I'm Christian, anyway have a blessed day! ✌🏻
It's hard because Christianity, the evangelical kind I was raised in anyway, believes it has THE answer. THE truth. Tolerance of other religions only existed in the sense that it targeted who needed "saved" by Jesus. I didn't think much about separation of church and state when I was still a Christian because I believed hey, we've got the truth, so of course getting the Christian God more involved in government is a good thing. Now that I'm an ex-evangelical, it pains me to see how blurred and overstepped the lines are between church and state. People can say we're a Christian nation, but the statistics prove otherwise. We're a diverse nation full of diverse people with diverse beliefs. I never want my religious convictions to dictate how other people must live, and vice versa. *Excellent* video on a difficult topic!
I would be curious for you, Grace, to reach out to the local Indigenous Nations and see what it means for them. Like, reaching out to the Cherokee Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, the Shawnee or Yuchi Nations. I bet they would have interesting, pertinent and important perspectives!
The moment Bevin boldly announced that he had no intention of obeying the law and representing the people because his bible was a priority for him, he should have been removed by the State Police and jailed for defrauding the public. I'm sick of these deceitful, theiving abusers of the law being treated with kid gloves. Lock them up without delay.
This was a good video. I don't think I could live in Kentucky or anywhere in the Bible Belt. I'm Christian but I definitely believe in the separation of church and state. Politicians should not be allowed to promote their religious beliefs and try to make laws regarding them. I think it's going to take individuals in the classroom or wherever standing up and protesting to get these laws changed. I guess I'll be donating to the ACLU.
gingerandcloves actually the ‘separation of church and state’ was a playoff pretty much coined by Thomas Jefferson. People confuse it but actually it was meant to get the government to leave alone people that wanted to freely practice religion. Which is freedom of religion.
I was a christian i firmly believed in seperation of church and sate more so now that my grandma has been supprting congressmen who violate church and state
No offense but, announcing an official religion of a state, actually makes the people who aren't followers of that specific religion feel unworthy, they might feel that you're against their beliefs that is why your placed your religion above theirs
@@aceofhearts0 I can't, cuz my own country has its official religion And people have been murdering people who aren't followers of my religion saying it's in the name of God or its honour killing I hate this mindset that the society has induced in them, I hope everyone gets treated nicely in my country even if it has a official religion
some HOT kpop TEA they didn’t announce a official religion. In God we Trust doesn’t have to be interpreted to mean Christianity, one could (and should) interpret it based on their belief system.
Live and let live! I believe that at the end of the day we are all humans no matter our beliefs, race, culture, we should just all care for one another. This world needs more unconditional love ❤️
I'm an Atheist in West Virginia and honestly I feel really disenfranchised. Like I am less than because I am not religious, specifically Christian. I volunteer in our schools, I'm in school to become a teacher, I volunteer within our community but when people find out I'm Atheist? I'm bad somehow? I just dont get it. What does my Atheism have to do with being good or bad? I am good because I want to be not because a god tells me to be. People just dont get it.
I 100% agree with you. Being an Atheist is not my entire life and everything I do is not based off of what I believe in. It's just how I believe we were created.
We support you! I think close minded religious people feel an obligation to save everyone who doesn't believe in the christian god....which causes them to feel like they are superior and as though anyone who doesn't believe is automatically wrong. It's really sad.
I am christian and I get frustrated at religious people too. I hate that they can try to force their beliefs on others, ironically the bible speaks against it. Anything that isn't done in love to share Jesus is simply not the Christian way. The greatest commandment Jesus gave is to love your neighbor. If you are close to these individuals maybe you could share how you are feeling so they can understand where you are coming from. Just tossing ideas out there. I do have to point out though that God does not tell me to be good and that's the only reason I am, I also just want to be good because I want to. I hope things get better for you. No one should feel like that.
honestly a bit of practical advice for you. Don't mention you are an atheist unless you are specifically asked. Just let them assume whatever, you don't have a personal fight or something. If you reply to every 'god bless you' with an 'actually I do not believe in that', people can feel hurt and thus you are hurting yourself, plus it can be a bit annoying. I know that this is not ideal, but it is probably the best strategy to live a nice life.
I love this comment. Every time I see a "Have a great day" on the internet it kind of brings me down to heart from my cloudy worries and makes me think about all the things that make my day good. Thank you :)
Unreliable Narrator 66 I disagree actually! I’m an atheist and I think even though I’d would have been nice to hear an atheist point of view on the situation in the video, they didn’t ignore that there was one and I appreciate that. But I see where you’re coming from and your thoughts totally make sense
I live in South Dakota, and they have the same rule here. They must display "In God We Trust" in a prominent and clear space. And they did....at my high school they put it in a spot near the front entrance. Funny thing is, its not noticeable (and crooked at that!!) My history teacher asked all his classes if they knew where the "In God We Trust" is, and not a single kid could tell him where it was. I just find it dumb that not only does this have a plethora of problems, none of the students care about it anyways! I didnt go to school for religion, and that's saying something, because I used to be a very faithful Christian. I love this series and I think it is extremely important and educational. Please keep making these episodes!
I just don't understand why there would be a need to MANDATE "In God We Trust" be posted in schools. What purpose, other than indoctrination, does that serve? It's not right...
It saddens me that a well carried out and respectful documentary such as this one has so much hateful comments below it. Can't we all just listen to the information being provided and form an opinion for ourselves on the issue without trashing other people for theirs?
Nope! People just have to hate on everything they don't agree with, nobody can have a normal conversation anymore without saying something rude or getting offended at the smallest thing.
I’m still in school and my best friend is Canadian. Every morning we are forced to say the pledge of allegiance and instead of saying “in god we trust” he says “in Canada we trust”. (I go to public school by the way)
I’m Wiccan and a volunteer firefighter, and we start every meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. I always deliberately omit the words “under God” because of their politically and religiously charged meanings, and I taught my kids to do the same. Our firehouse also used to follow the Pledge with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer (which I also refused to recite, I just remained standing out of basic courtesy), but the changed it to a moment of silence about 15 years ago, thank the gods!
Thank you so much for being inclusive and having proper captions in your videos. I only prefer them but there are a lot of people who depend on them (deaf/hard of hearing, etc.) so it's always great to see them being available. 🙂 Love your videos.
I'm only fifteen so watching videos like this makes me open my eyes to certain things. They don't teach this stuff in school and that's upsetting because this is the stuff that's happening in the real world and if we were to get taught these types of subjects we would be more prepared to face them in the real world. I grew up in a Christian household and being gay and having parents who are strict with the belief that it should be a man and a woman makes it hard. I don't fully believe in God. I still struggle with my faith and it's much harder when you know that what you were taught when you were younger doesn't apply to you now. And hearing that they post on everything In God we Trust makes me feel as though they don't accept any other religions. I get that they are strong about their beliefs, but at the same time it's not the best idea to put In God We Trust on everything in the town.
I am not telling you to not believe in God. You can whatch the video to get some ideas on how you can act even thought you don't know what to belive yet.
As an agnostic lesbian who grew up in Kentucky and attended both Catholic and public schools, I watched Christianity become almost engrained into the psyches of the students. And with that comes intolerance for other people who don't "fall in line". Seeing things like the Abrahamic Faith Council, gives me hope that maybe one day everyone will be more tolerant and aware of the beliefs (or lack thereof) others have. That being said I am very happy that I moved out of Kentucky. While yes there are people there who do not care where you come from, what race or gender you are, or about your religious beliefs.... There are still those who are fighting for the perpetuation of intolerance. To anyone who may feel like they are suffocating in a school in The Bible Belt: Find the people who respect you for who you are and hold on to them. You will get through this. 💜🌈
great video, Grace. it's especially nice to see you talking about this as a Christian yourself - as someone raised with another religion (Hinduism) who is now atheist, I feel like my opinions against things like this mandate aren't really taken seriously and seen more as a reactive response. But like, even if putting up "In God We Trust" doesn't mean you have to believe it, it does show people that enough people in power Do believe it to make it necessary to display that. And that is not conducive to equality for people regardless of beliefs or lack thereof.
As an Agnostic, I love these videos. This one really hit home because I live in Kentucky. And the fact that you explore these issues when no one else will, gives me hope. But it doesn't really address what's going through the minds of the people who are pushing for these types of bills. To answer your last question, the Declaration of Independence says our rights are granted by our creator. Which is fundamental in and of itself, because it means the government doesn't have the right to deny us our rights. That being said, most people enforcing these laws, believe the Muslims and the Atheists and the everything else are taking over, and that's the reason our society is the way it is. They don't care about the rights of the Atheist next door. They blame their godlessness for the rise in school shootings. The only way the get through to that is asking if they're not exactly like the Muslim countries they have so many problems with by enforcing a religion, using the legal system.
It’s interesting how the people on the opposing side of your argument refuse to discuss with you, even when you don’t state your position initially. It shows the open mindedness of the people who will talk to you, and I think that speaks for itself.
this video needs more views. ever since i was young i did not like saying the pledge of allegiance in school, i didnt like standing for the national anthem. i feel grateful to have been born in the usa but ive always felt the pressure of religion and ive never wanted anything to do with it, it always made me uncomfortable af because i always knew that i did not and now believe in any sort of sky daddy. and the fact that people would get mad at me for sitting, that i would get in trouble for refusing to take part in a religion im not a part of, is bs.
I am in a public school in Louisville, KY and in elementary school some teachers would force kids to say the pledge even though they weren’t aloud to or wanted to because of religion. In middle school I didn’t stand for the pledge because I thought to separate religion and government makes sense, a sub teacher got in an argument with me over not saying the pledge once. Now in High school everyone is chill about it but it still annoys me personally because of this.
It was not even the point of this video but the thing I liked most about this video was that Grace’s old friend is still her friend even though their view points have grown to be completely polar opposites they can still call one another friend...that is love. God is love wether you believe in God or not God even loves those who don’t believe.
Evangelical Christian stressed me with their agendas. The funny thing is that despite being an atheist, I went to a Christian University and wouldn’t trade it for the world. I was taught about Christianity from people who had been to seminary or theological school and folks that had lots of experience in appropriate companion subjects like Christian history. A few of them even spoke languages from the Bible. So when I see evangelicals waving their Bibles around and screaming, it actually offends me deeply. There is so much more to Christianity than just forcing people to do what you want.
This is such a crazy topic for me. I feel caught in the middle searching for what’s right some times. I was raised so strongly to believe we were founded as a Christian nation... yet I see how truth was twisted when taught to me. I feel like, continuing to share the facts and truth eventually will win out... or I hope so.
I'm a progressive christian and I think it's so important to question things and discover facts and truths for yourself. I was raised very conservative and after getting out of my family's house I started forming my own opinions (thank Goodness). I now feel closer to God than I ever have even though I now believe basically all the things my family said were bad and evil lol.
YOU👏🏽FREAKIN👏🏽ROCK👏🏽Grace!!!!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽THANK YOU for always having the STRENGTH, the TENACITY, and the OPEN HEART to be able to present and discuss these issues, OPENLY ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ One Nation, under GRACE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
e pluribus unum= out of many, one. It's a very different meaning to "one of many." (@4:52) e pluribus unum I've always felt was so beautiful because it's an admonition to remember that the beauty and strength of the American experiment is in the belief that we can and should strive to be diverse, free-thinking, and unified as a nation.
you spoke couple times of the motto “in God we trust” being re-enforced in schools,,, i’m curious to know why children in kentucky schools weren’t interviewed about their views on this???? do they feel okay about it or feel less than??? or feel nothing at all???
Grace the woman conducting the segment doesn't have the right to interview school-age children without the parents consent and attempting to do so especially on a topic like the first amendment could be problematic, especially in a country where many people say they're christian but have never actually read the bible.
Because you need to get parental permission. You can't just show up and start interviewing kids. Plus when you start bringing kids into your videos CZcams shuts down your comment sections.
Im from New Zealand where we have a different relationship with religion and the separation of church and state. I still think there is not the amount of separation there should be here - because the church that is connected is christian but its really interesting to see the differences. The speaker of the house in our Parliament removed a reference to jesus from the parliamentary prayer a couple of years ago, which people weren't too happy with but he kept the term 'almighty god', he conferred with religious leaders and said his goal was to have inclusivity of religions in a prayer that is said everyday in parliament. On the flipside we have new political parties that are trying to form for this election that are christian based and believe our country needs more church in the state. Love this series!
The whole Bible belt thing is so freakish to me. I live in CT and for the most part it's live & let live. The biggest issue I have is with Jehovah Witness'. As soon as Summer hits they're out like crazy. They ignore my posted notices & even left me hand written letters. It's outrageous. I wonder how they would like it if I knocked on their door everyday to chat about my faith? As far as church & state, it should always remain separate, always.
I had that problem in one neighborhood. I started inviting them in but, while they are talking to me, I'd cook a meal and sit down to eat while they were still standing. I never offered them any food. Or I would let them start their spiel, then call a friend on the phone. It didn't take long for them to get the word out; they never came back and they never left their propaganda on my door.
I grew up in the DC-Metro area, and we had JW’s plaguing the neighborhood too! If you made the mistake of answering the door, they’d yap your ear off no matter how politely or firmly you tried to end the conversation. If you pretended you weren’t home, they’d bang on the door for five minutes, then they’d stuff tracts in the storm door on the way out. I now live in a rural, much redder county that’s crawling with conservative Christians and Cult 45 devotees (yes, I’m aware that this can be a grammatical redundancy), but up here our proselytizers are Mormons and the occasional Baptists. If you tell them you’re happy with the religion you’ve got, they’ll at least shut up and leave you alone, but every so often I’ll be of a mood to be obnoxious and school the Baptists about non-Christian viewpoints (which is especially fun since I’m a Wiccan!). The Mormons are of different stripe, and I’ve had plenty of fun rap sessions on my front porch explaining to them about my Wiccan path, which they enjoy learning about. It’s a nice change of pace to be able to chat with people who are willing to learn!
I think it's important that we really look at the comment section. They speak volumes.....Most of the religious people who are commenting are saying hateful an disrespectful things. Those of us who do not believe in their god are trying to have a healthy discussion by talking kindly to one another, asking questions, and sharing our stories. I'm not saying ALL of the comments but the majority that I see. Just something to think on.
I can say with great certainty that this is one of the few shows on youtube which I eagerly wait for each episode to be released. Thank you to the hole team for the fantastic content of State of Grace. Aldought I´m not American nor do I live in America or am religious, this show is great to reflect on common issues (Portugal is a very religious contry). Engaging in conversation with someone you dont share the same opinion with, find some fundaments for good argumentation, view perspecitives that would otherwise be difficult for me to contact,are some of the things I appreciate here. Please continue with the great work!
Yes! As a non-christian I remember feeling extremely isolated growing up especially in school and during "Christmas vacation". Then if you dare to speak up even in an extremely polite and considerate way you're made out to be a god hater or as a staff members secretary at my community college said when I asked for a meeting with her boss about issues on campus (harassment by Christian groups of non Christian students, screaming at as we were going to hell, following and harassing us etc. and tons of school wide Christmas celebrations and decorations on a super multicultural campus) I was screamed at and asked why I hate Christmas even after I explained I don't and I would really just like to schedule an appointment with the person and discuss it with her rather than fighting with her secretary if I even have a right to be bothered at all. Of course she refused to even schedule an appointment for me so I had to track this person down myself and the secretary was never spoken to, reprimanded or anything for her nasty behavior when I literally couldn't have been nicer or more professional. Religion should have no place in school. Also I find it strange that people who are saying "what about Allah and Yahweh" don't understand that using the word Yahweh is incredibly offensive and even as a pretty secular Jew and Hebrew speaker I find it to be quite shocking to hear. People usually say Elohim which is still a name for god that Hebrew speakers and many Jews won't say outside of in prayer, if you want to use the most common term for god it's "Hashem" which literally translates as "the name" but it's used as a place holder for the more holy names even by secular Jews, even many Jews that don't believe in God use the term Hashem out of respect for other people. Overall I enjoyed this video and appreciate that they covered how crap it is to have someone else's religion forced on you. Also loved grace in this whole series, she did a wonderful job.
As an atheist (and as I’m sure many non-christians will agree), it is so offensive that our country that was founded on separation of church and state now has in god we trust printed on all the money. Everyday in school, I had to say the American pledge of allegiance and Texan pledge of allegiance, both of which said “under god.” And many of our patriotic songs say things like “god bless America.”
I'm not really in to religion, but if I remember right, even Jesus asked for the division between religion and goverment, after all he supposedly said: Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's, didn't he?
Thank you for exploring this topic. I feel like our voices are silenced. Also, thank you for leaving the comments enabled so that we can have an open dialogue. 💜
If they want to have "in god they trust" on the wall in a public school, they should have to have it as part of a list, including Allah etc. Just make it fair.
But what if your God (or Allah or Yahweh or etc) isn’t a “god”? What if it’s a GODDESS? Or playing devil’s advocate, what if it’s Satan? Or Odin? Or etc etc etc....That’s the reason why NONE of it should be on a public wall/space. Because there will always be people who aren’t represented equally. And isn’t that what America was founded on? “Equality” for all? (Although OBVIOUSLY this was NEVER achieved 🙄)
@@vilanyas.1808 god (allah means god in arabic and muslims believe in the thora and bible so it's the same god) and god has no gender it's not a men hight in the sky or something we humans can not see god it's just so simple to try and think and describe it as some greek god figure
@@vilanyas.1808 idk man, " in gods's/ goddesses, demons etc we trust?" the point i was making is that if they want to be listed they have to be inclusive, bc if there's one thing conservatives hate more then not getting their way, its having to compromise and/or share lmao
@@molly__88 im in the uk but go off lmao, i actually live between 5 christian churches, 2 muslim ones (i am not gonna look up how to spell them just to make a point im on mobile) and another for satanists. im just chilling being a gay atheist lol, idm what you be doin as long as you be doin it without making me join in. the same stance i have for vegan/vegetarian/and yoga lol
My parents are very evangelical Christians and even they believe in the separation of church and state. My mum always reminds other Christians that our country was founded by people who wanted a freedom of religion, to worship whom and how they want. They also used to run an exchange student program where we got kids from all over the world so that people in our small very white and very Christian town could be exposed to many different cultures and ways of thinking.
Will Refinery29 ever cover the issues or atheists in society? We face global, systematic discrimination and face persistent social pressure to hide our rational philosophy and constantly accommodate religious people without reciprocal accommodation.
The idea that "In God We Trust" should just be interpreted as whatever your personal god is is just a bandaid on the issue. Not everyone is religious and has a god that they place their trust in nor is everyone who IS religious part of the Big Three or Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. I myself am a Hellenist which means that I worship the ancient Greek Hellenist pantheon. In particular, my patron deity is Hecate, a goddess of female empowerment, crossroads, and death. In God We Trust does not incorporate my goddess or acknowledge the many other gods that I worship alongside Her. Could I replace the word God with Goddess or Gods in my mind? Yes. But I shouldn't have to. This is supposed to be a nation of free worship with no favored religion. In God We Trust should never have been made the national motto in the 50's. I used to be a Christian. I happily grew up in the church and in the Bible Belt and at the time, I saw nothing wrong with things like this bc "well Christianity is the only way so of course it's displayed everywhere". And then my faith and my church failed me and I could no longer reconcile the message I had of who God was with the hateful and spiteful and entitled Church that spoke for him. And no, someone saying that they trust in God does not offend me. Professing that you have a strong faith in any religion does not offend me. The issue is from the STATE, someone who has power over you and informs the beliefs of the country, saying that they have this preference. It's no secret that Christianity has embedded itself in every corner of our government as the majority religion. The problem is that laws and mandates are being passed based on these beliefs and these beliefs ARE detrimental to other groups. Namely, people who are not Christian and LGBT people as it is not the accepting Christians are doing these things. It was clearly shown that getting marriage equality removed and gay adoption banned were big ticket items for this movement. Asking Christians to not lord their beliefs over others is not religious oppression. What you guys do to everyone else, however mild compared to other countries, absolutely is. And please do not comment with "well, Christians who hurt other people or chase people out of the Church aren't REAL Christians." No. They ARE Christians and it's about time for Christians who aren't like that to start taking responsibility for them and admitting that it is a black stain on your church that needs to be addressed. That the message of your faith is directly leading to their existence.
I remember being forced to stand during the pledge during school and feeling really uncomfortable. So when I was, I just would skip “under god”. As an athiest, I really don’t like that people are trying to change how I have to live my life when I don’t have the same religion as them. Luckily in high school it was less forced and I could say that I don’t like saying the pledge and would prefer to sit, but I would still be forced to stand sometimes.
Jesus believed in the separation of church and state. Mark 12: 17 "Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him." Jesus taught against ostentatious religiosity Matthew 6:1-34 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward."
Would it be possible if you could cover the story for the plan to save a popular Netflix series called AnneWith An E? It’s a period drama based in Canada that is all-inclusive (feminism, people of color, religions, sexualities, cultures, etc.) & beautifully narrates the trials & tribulations of issues that are unfortunately still prominent in today’s society. It’s a wonderful, award-winning) story yet Netflix has chosen to cancel after three seasons (statement released November 25th, 2019) due to a split with the Canadian company that co-produces the show, leaving the cast/crew & fans devastated. The news of the cancellation has led to an uproar from the fans, with a petition of over 160k signatures and garnering more than 15.5 million tweets within two months under multiple hashtags to save the series. The most popular being #RenewAnneWithAnE. The numbers are growing at a significant rate. The topic of your story: How fans have developed a process of saving media content in a way that has never before been an option. This show means a great deal & although it covers harsher topics it stays family-friendly. It's also worth noting the series is majority written and directed by an incredible group of women. More and more media outlets are picking up our story, even catching the attention of Ryan Reynolds & Sam Smith, leading them to demand the renewal of the show as well. There have also been multiple fan-funded billboards in both Toronto & Times Square to bring awareness to the campaign! Your help would be greatly appreciated! PETITION: www.change.org/p/awae-fans-renew-anne-with-an-e-for-season-4
I’ve always wondered how Xmas can be considered a bank holiday for this very reason. I’ve also wondered about the pledge of allegiance as well. I don’t agree with that line at all. And prayer in public school? Absolutely not!
As a Kentuckian who’s queer and atheist, I’m glad to see you visit my state. I also love that you lived here!! If you want to come to town, I highly recommend checking out the Covington Pride. It’s a very small town feel but right next to Cincinnati and a huge portion of the booths are local artisans. I’m having a booth this year (I’m the Crafty Cyborg, my best friend is Gremlin Woodworks) at it and can’t wait!
Here in Australia public schools are not allowed to have an outlook on religion. When I moved from my super strict religious private school to public high school I was so relieved to not have Jesus bullshit shoved down my throat in every classroom, every morning at endless boring assemblies and chapels, praying in a dark room around a candle in one of my form classes (yikes). The ironic thing is that every single student I know that has gone to that school strictly refuses to believe in god lmao
i was originally worried about clicking on this video because of dumb reasons of thinking that it was going to be one-sided as hell but im glad that your opened my eyes to understanding.
I grew up Christian and since my teen years I have strived to be inclusive but also because when I don't agree with the common themes of a group I tend to avoid common words of that group. When I post on Facebook for instance that some sort of possible divine intervention has happened to me that day I use the term "universe or world" not because I believe the solar system has anything to do with what happened but because I choose to not attach a group to that, anyone can interpret their own meaning. I have many friends who are Christian, many who are atheist, and many who have other beliefs I am not choosing to be PC I am choosing to let people interpret what they want and not challenge what I say. I had friends who became upset since I frequently used the term you guys to my group of girlfriends not because of any ill intention just because its a common expression, I now use y'all because it's a great term to be inclusive with people with unknown pronouns or just a collective of people in general. I am so happy that my friend told me they had felt hurt by being misidentified even in the most common of ways and now when I have people in my life with different pronouns and those who have changed their prefered pronouns I either ask or use inclusive wording because its never the intent to hurt someone but if it's pointed out to you, you cant claim you didn't know.
In Elemetry school I went to a catholic school. We said the pledge and then prayed and I didn't think about that. Then in 5th grade I moved to a public school. And we didn't. And i didn't notice the difference. I didn't feel as if something was off. I didn't know exactly what any of it meant and I didn't care. Then in 11th grade my high school decided that they were going to have to do the pledge. And it felt weird so I respectfully just didn't stand. And this was the same time the whole kneeling for the pledge came out. And then I listened. I'm a white bisexual cisgendered female athiest. I pass for a white female straight christian. And I realised while I pass for it I'm not it. I don't believe in god and having to say I do feels so wrong. I have siblings who don't pass as white and I'd see the head turns and hear the racism that comes out because they dont pass for white. I've watched countless news alerts about mass shootings. And hear countless stories of sexual assault/rape. The anger that year grew so much that it felt like I would break if I actually told people why I personally didn't stand that I would break. Its because I personally felt like it was just another way to brainwash people into doing what they were told. To not think. And then eventually just be able to not only believe but recite at a moments notice. It was robotic and creepy. It meant nothing because it was a lie. And then the next year I had a teacher tell me to at least stand... For the troops🤷. I did because get asked me to. Each time it felt worse. I could have just said no, I had the right to. But it didn't feel like I had that right. Im not allow to think for myself and stand up for what I feel is right. I know its small and stupid for most. But it was a lot wrapped in it.
In the US, separation of Church and State was made to keep STATE from CHURCH's business. Not the other way around. That is why in the US, religious people don't see any issue with religion guiding politics openly. In France, the separation of CHURCH and STATE was to keep CHURCH out of STATE. That is why we don't like it when people are in your face with their religion. We think it is something private only between you and your god. It is also why there are so many problems with Islam here and to a smaller account, with born again evangelical Christian.
I wouldn’t care about fundamentalist religion if people didn’t use it to shame me and other people who don’t believe/are attracted to the same gender. If it didn’t hurt people I wouldn’t care, but it does so I do.
It would be nice to have a government that represents everyone, not just people who believe in God. I think a lot of people just go with the flow so they can be included in the majority.
The only thing that is necessary is that something out there is greater than yourself....and with me saying that most people say I am atheist. Because the greater being is unknown to myself so I choose no religion. But I do belive that there is something greater than human out there...i will find out what is what when my mind and body gives way and my soul lives on but I will never be able to tell others what to believe because my mind and body hasn't experienced it yet.
I’ve heard it said that saying “I believe that is wrong so I don’t do it” is freedom of religion in action. However, saying “I believe that is wrong so I don’t do it and even though you may not think it’s wrong you also can’t do it” is religious tyranny in action. Seems pretty obvious which side those going on about “religious liberty” are on.
I am a Christian, and I think that people should do what they want to do, they should be able to have and practice their religion, (Unless it involves killing or similar) even our Bible says that people should have free will and I respect people who have a different (or no) religion who don't say that we shouldn't be here because we are "Taking the normal people's oxygen" like I have experienced before. I think we should all just respect others religions.
In 1980, an 10x12-inch framed plaque listing the Ten Commandments (in an ecumenical version approved by Christian and Jewish groups) had to be displayed in all Kentucky public school classrooms. Strategically placed near the entrance, these plaques ere mostly ignored after an initial hoopla. A chemistry teacher (who was an atheist) covered hers with a large periodic table of elements to show her disapproval. Within a year the display was ruled unconstitutional and the plaques came down. Even religious teachers had to remove them because they "established religion" in the classroom.
What do you think the solution to this issue is? Share with us below!
Can you do a video of the dangers Islam to women and LGBTQ people?
I think seperation of state and religion is a unattainable utopic . Every secular state has a one major religion or two . And it will always affect policy but i don't see the problem as long as it doesn't force the other religion to believe. Circular countries tend to behave like owner of the apartment who let his guys stay but still makes it clear his boss . A state can through neva be seperate from religion because atheism in it self is kinda of a religion. Early ideas of Secularism originates from Calvinism but even then i believe secularism is a separation of statevand religion but a separation of state authority and religious authority .
Iv watchd several videos ..it looks like uve been searching for the truth for so long ..but i also hv a feeling you already know the truth ..ur just struggling to believe it..some things u will see only when you believe ....i hope u get wht im saying .. smday soon
@@danielakalamudo4360 Atheism is not a religion. Atheists (as I am) just don't believe in god. We don't have rituals, or prayers or even sacred texts. I don't know if separation of State and Church is an utopia. But I think we should maintain it as much as possible. Laws shouldn't be based on faith but on reason. I tink whe should base the laws on this : We are human beings, we all live our life and die one day. Other human beings will live after us, and will die too. That is the thing we have in common, watever our beliefs, our religion or non religion. How do we manage to live together as a society, even if we are all different ? How do we manage to make our time on earth as good as possible for everyone ?
How do we manage to let a good legacy to the humans that come after us?
Sadly his only solution is to remove all mention of GOD from everything in America although that really is not a solution to a problem cause he has not established that believing in GOD is a problem etc !!!
"Also, surprise, lesbian! Curveball!"
Hahah that made me laugh when I heard that.
No surprise or curveball.
You do realize the God of "In God We Trust " says in his Word the Bible that same sex behavior is a sin ( in the New Testament no less ) and frowns on such behavior right question mark !! Read Romans 1 : 26- 32 ! Now the good news ; God says you can get to Heaven by doing these two things and PS it is free and easy !! Read Romans 10; 9 and 10 the Bible Gods Word !!
@@danielrisk5731 Sorry but you didn't do your research correctly! It was a translated incorrectly and it used to be that a man should not lay with a boy or young man as he does with a woman. It was a reference to pedophilia. Btw I'm Christian, anyway have a blessed day! ✌🏻
@@danielrisk5731 sorry, I'm a gay atheist and cannot read homophobic bible verses; I'm allergic. Enjoy your novel ! 👍
It's hard because Christianity, the evangelical kind I was raised in anyway, believes it has THE answer. THE truth. Tolerance of other religions only existed in the sense that it targeted who needed "saved" by Jesus. I didn't think much about separation of church and state when I was still a Christian because I believed hey, we've got the truth, so of course getting the Christian God more involved in government is a good thing. Now that I'm an ex-evangelical, it pains me to see how blurred and overstepped the lines are between church and state. People can say we're a Christian nation, but the statistics prove otherwise. We're a diverse nation full of diverse people with diverse beliefs. I never want my religious convictions to dictate how other people must live, and vice versa. *Excellent* video on a difficult topic!
Sara Martin if I can like your comment a million times I would. ❤️
Thank you Sara for such an honest and intelligent commentary
B-E-A-UTIFUL!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
💙💙thank you!
+saramartin Thank you so much for leaving such a well said and insightful comment here. We couldn't agree more!
I would be curious for you, Grace, to reach out to the local Indigenous Nations and see what it means for them. Like, reaching out to the Cherokee Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, the Shawnee or Yuchi Nations. I bet they would have interesting, pertinent and important perspectives!
Hello Dávid
yes!!! this would be awesome!!!
As a Christian I want government out of my religion and religion out of my government. Thanks for another awesome video!
The moment Bevin boldly announced that he had no intention of obeying the law and representing the people because his bible was a priority for him, he should have been removed by the State Police and jailed for defrauding the public. I'm sick of these deceitful, theiving abusers of the law being treated with kid gloves. Lock them up without delay.
Idea for the motto: in democracy we trust
Lori A YES!! That would be BEAUTIFUL!!! Unfortunately though, at least in this country, Democracy is BROKEN 🙄
@@vilanyas.1808 we're more in the oligarchy territory right now, unfortunately
@@VegQuaker13 I would also like "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness"
@@lesliegittemeier7682 that's a good one and pays tribute to the constitution!
America is sadly more of a republic than a democracy
This was a good video. I don't think I could live in Kentucky or anywhere in the Bible Belt. I'm Christian but I definitely believe in the separation of church and state. Politicians should not be allowed to promote their religious beliefs and try to make laws regarding them. I think it's going to take individuals in the classroom or wherever standing up and protesting to get these laws changed. I guess I'll be donating to the ACLU.
gingerandcloves actually the ‘separation of church and state’ was a playoff pretty much coined by Thomas Jefferson. People confuse it but actually it was meant to get the government to leave alone people that wanted to freely practice religion. Which is freedom of religion.
+gingerandcloves Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us! So glad you got something out of the video.
I'm a Christian too and I agree with everything you said...i also sadly live in Kentucky and it is as bad as you say.
I was a christian i firmly believed in seperation of church and sate more so now that my grandma has been supprting congressmen who violate church and state
No offense but, announcing an official religion of a state, actually makes the people who aren't followers of that specific religion feel unworthy, they might feel that you're against their beliefs that is why your placed your religion above theirs
tell that to most of the world where countries have a official religion
@@aceofhearts0 I can't, cuz my own country has its official religion
And people have been murdering people who aren't followers of my religion saying it's in the name of God or its honour killing
I hate this mindset that the society has induced in them, I hope everyone gets treated nicely in my country even if it has a official religion
some HOT kpop TEA they didn’t announce a official religion. In God we Trust doesn’t have to be interpreted to mean Christianity, one could (and should) interpret it based on their belief system.
@@alyssasloneker5126 no I actually come from Pakistan, am a Muslim
And my country is an official Islamic republic
That is what I meant
+somehotkpoptea Agreed!
I would love an hour long deep dove into one specific topic! I'm always so sad when each episode is over
+andrewmiller We're so glad you are loving the series!!
200% agree!!!! (edit for typo)
Grace is the best host!! So glad she is shedding light on issues like this!
Live and let live! I believe that at the end of the day we are all humans no matter our beliefs, race, culture, we should just all care for one another. This world needs more unconditional love ❤️
+suri 100%!!
I'm an Atheist in West Virginia and honestly I feel really disenfranchised. Like I am less than because I am not religious, specifically Christian. I volunteer in our schools, I'm in school to become a teacher, I volunteer within our community but when people find out I'm Atheist? I'm bad somehow? I just dont get it. What does my Atheism have to do with being good or bad? I am good because I want to be not because a god tells me to be. People just dont get it.
I 100% agree with you. Being an Atheist is not my entire life and everything I do is not based off of what I believe in. It's just how I believe we were created.
+amazonmomma We totally understand! Perceptions needs to shift!
We support you! I think close minded religious people feel an obligation to save everyone who doesn't believe in the christian god....which causes them to feel like they are superior and as though anyone who doesn't believe is automatically wrong. It's really sad.
I am christian and I get frustrated at religious people too. I hate that they can try to force their beliefs on others, ironically the bible speaks against it. Anything that isn't done in love to share Jesus is simply not the Christian way. The greatest commandment Jesus gave is to love your neighbor. If you are close to these individuals maybe you could share how you are feeling so they can understand where you are coming from. Just tossing ideas out there. I do have to point out though that God does not tell me to be good and that's the only reason I am, I also just want to be good because I want to. I hope things get better for you. No one should feel like that.
honestly a bit of practical advice for you. Don't mention you are an atheist unless you are specifically asked. Just let them assume whatever, you don't have a personal fight or something. If you reply to every 'god bless you' with an 'actually I do not believe in that', people can feel hurt and thus you are hurting yourself, plus it can be a bit annoying. I know that this is not ideal, but it is probably the best strategy to live a nice life.
Hello...have a nice day everyone who sees this
I love this comment. Every time I see a "Have a great day" on the internet it kind of brings me down to heart from my cloudy worries and makes me think about all the things that make my day good. Thank you :)
Beapea you too!
You too!
Evangelicals believe that only they get to heaven. Lo
I really love this series and how every issue covered is handled with so much respect for all sides, hats off to the whole team behind these videos!
+abigailreeves Thank you for watching! :)
Respect for religious people but not atheists, who are totally excluded from the discussion and disrespected as such.
@@refinery29 When will you cover the issues of atheists? See my direct comment to the thread.
Unreliable Narrator 66 I disagree actually! I’m an atheist and I think even though I’d would have been nice to hear an atheist point of view on the situation in the video, they didn’t ignore that there was one and I appreciate that. But I see where you’re coming from and your thoughts totally make sense
I live in South Dakota, and they have the same rule here. They must display "In God We Trust" in a prominent and clear space. And they did....at my high school they put it in a spot near the front entrance. Funny thing is, its not noticeable (and crooked at that!!) My history teacher asked all his classes if they knew where the "In God We Trust" is, and not a single kid could tell him where it was. I just find it dumb that not only does this have a plethora of problems, none of the students care about it anyways! I didnt go to school for religion, and that's saying something, because I used to be a very faithful Christian.
I love this series and I think it is extremely important and educational. Please keep making these episodes!
As a Christian, I really love State of Grace. It's so refreshing and reflective. I think everyone should watch.
Videos with Grace are one of the best parts of this channel ❤
+aliceminty So glad you are loving them!
I just don't understand why there would be a need to MANDATE "In God We Trust" be posted in schools. What purpose, other than indoctrination, does that serve? It's not right...
It saddens me that a well carried out and respectful documentary such as this one has so much hateful comments below it. Can't we all just listen to the information being provided and form an opinion for ourselves on the issue without trashing other people for theirs?
Nope! People just have to hate on everything they don't agree with, nobody can have a normal conversation anymore without saying something rude or getting offended at the smallest thing.
@@assassinwoman16 You assumed my gender
I love watching State of Grace! I look forward to every episode, please keep making them!
+katrinagehn Will do!
I’m still in school and my best friend is Canadian. Every morning we are forced to say the pledge of allegiance and instead of saying “in god we trust” he says “in Canada we trust”. (I go to public school by the way)
I’m Wiccan and a volunteer firefighter, and we start every meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. I always deliberately omit the words “under God” because of their politically and religiously charged meanings, and I taught my kids to do the same.
Our firehouse also used to follow the Pledge with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer (which I also refused to recite, I just remained standing out of basic courtesy), but the changed it to a moment of silence about 15 years ago, thank the gods!
Thank you so much for being inclusive and having proper captions in your videos. I only prefer them but there are a lot of people who depend on them (deaf/hard of hearing, etc.) so it's always great to see them being available. 🙂
Love your videos.
+judycz Thanks for being here and for leaving a positive comment!
Religious freedom is religious freedom. It should be a religious right and a legal right everywhere
+shozchel 100%!!
I did not know grace and I were from the same town! I drive past that billboard every day!
+samanathaburke Small world!!
I live in Louisville too omg!!!
I'm only fifteen so watching videos like this makes me open my eyes to certain things. They don't teach this stuff in school and that's upsetting because this is the stuff that's happening in the real world and if we were to get taught these types of subjects we would be more prepared to face them in the real world. I grew up in a Christian household and being gay and having parents who are strict with the belief that it should be a man and a woman makes it hard. I don't fully believe in God. I still struggle with my faith and it's much harder when you know that what you were taught when you were younger doesn't apply to you now. And hearing that they post on everything In God we Trust makes me feel as though they don't accept any other religions. I get that they are strong about their beliefs, but at the same time it's not the best idea to put In God We Trust on everything in the town.
I am not telling you to not believe in God. You can whatch the video to get some ideas on how you can act even thought you don't know what to belive yet.
As an agnostic lesbian who grew up in Kentucky and attended both Catholic and public schools, I watched Christianity become almost engrained into the psyches of the students. And with that comes intolerance for other people who don't "fall in line". Seeing things like the Abrahamic Faith Council, gives me hope that maybe one day everyone will be more tolerant and aware of the beliefs (or lack thereof) others have. That being said I am very happy that I moved out of Kentucky. While yes there are people there who do not care where you come from, what race or gender you are, or about your religious beliefs.... There are still those who are fighting for the perpetuation of intolerance.
To anyone who may feel like they are suffocating in a school in The Bible Belt: Find the people who respect you for who you are and hold on to them. You will get through this. 💜🌈
+adyahades Thank you for leaving this encouraging message here!
great video, Grace. it's especially nice to see you talking about this as a Christian yourself - as someone raised with another religion (Hinduism) who is now atheist, I feel like my opinions against things like this mandate aren't really taken seriously and seen more as a reactive response. But like, even if putting up "In God We Trust" doesn't mean you have to believe it, it does show people that enough people in power Do believe it to make it necessary to display that. And that is not conducive to equality for people regardless of beliefs or lack thereof.
+craftysunshine Very well said! Thank you for watching!
"we're lucky 'cause we have a ditch..." **cam zooms in on Grace at a lost for words and almost spilling the coffee
As an Agnostic, I love these videos. This one really hit home because I live in Kentucky. And the fact that you explore these issues when no one else will, gives me hope. But it doesn't really address what's going through the minds of the people who are pushing for these types of bills.
To answer your last question, the Declaration of Independence says our rights are granted by our creator. Which is fundamental in and of itself, because it means the government doesn't have the right to deny us our rights.
That being said, most people enforcing these laws, believe the Muslims and the Atheists and the everything else are taking over, and that's the reason our society is the way it is. They don't care about the rights of the Atheist next door. They blame their godlessness for the rise in school shootings. The only way the get through to that is asking if they're not exactly like the Muslim countries they have so many problems with by enforcing a religion, using the legal system.
+jessecox All very true. So glad you're liking the series!!
Grace, you were my favorite host of Pop Trigger... i don't know why but I'm thinking fondly about that show today.
Andrea Ha Pop Trigger! Wow! Feels like forever ago. Thanks for sticking with me for so long.
I really love her relationship with her hair dresser friend. It's respect and its dope
It’s interesting how the people on the opposing side of your argument refuse to discuss with you, even when you don’t state your position initially. It shows the open mindedness of the people who will talk to you, and I think that speaks for itself.
this video needs more views. ever since i was young i did not like saying the pledge of allegiance in school, i didnt like standing for the national anthem. i feel grateful to have been born in the usa but ive always felt the pressure of religion and ive never wanted anything to do with it, it always made me uncomfortable af because i always knew that i did not and now believe in any sort of sky daddy. and the fact that people would get mad at me for sitting, that i would get in trouble for refusing to take part in a religion im not a part of, is bs.
I am in a public school in Louisville, KY and in elementary school some teachers would force kids to say the pledge even though they weren’t aloud to or wanted to because of religion. In middle school I didn’t stand for the pledge because I thought to separate religion and government makes sense, a sub teacher got in an argument with me over not saying the pledge once. Now in High school everyone is chill about it but it still annoys me personally because of this.
It was not even the point of this video but the thing I liked most about this video was that Grace’s old friend is still her friend even though their view points have grown to be completely polar opposites they can still call one another friend...that is love. God is love wether you believe in God or not God even loves those who don’t believe.
+spiritualcosmetics They are leading by example and it's so encouraging!
Evangelical Christian stressed me with their agendas. The funny thing is that despite being an atheist, I went to a Christian University and wouldn’t trade it for the world. I was taught about Christianity from people who had been to seminary or theological school and folks that had lots of experience in appropriate companion subjects like Christian history. A few of them even spoke languages from the Bible. So when I see evangelicals waving their Bibles around and screaming, it actually offends me deeply. There is so much more to Christianity than just forcing people to do what you want.
This is such a crazy topic for me. I feel caught in the middle searching for what’s right some times. I was raised so strongly to believe we were founded as a Christian nation... yet I see how truth was twisted when taught to me. I feel like, continuing to share the facts and truth eventually will win out... or I hope so.
+hannah We believe so, too. Thanks for watching!
I think it's amazing that you are self aware and are open to having a discussion!
I'm a progressive christian and I think it's so important to question things and discover facts and truths for yourself. I was raised very conservative and after getting out of my family's house I started forming my own opinions (thank Goodness). I now feel closer to God than I ever have even though I now believe basically all the things my family said were bad and evil lol.
@@MeGirl191 me too, girl. Me too, to EVERYTHING you said.
I use to be a very strong Christian too untill I read tr he entire bible. Their was so meany contradictions I didn't know what to believe.
friends who don't always agree on political views and other things but keep their friendship strong at the end of the day is truly showing God's love.
I'm shocked with the number of views. I felt this should get more attention.
YOU👏🏽FREAKIN👏🏽ROCK👏🏽Grace!!!!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽THANK YOU for always having the STRENGTH, the TENACITY, and the OPEN HEART to be able to present and discuss these issues, OPENLY ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ One Nation, under GRACE 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
+vilanyas. Thank you for taking the time to watch!!
e pluribus unum= out of many, one.
It's a very different meaning to "one of many." (@4:52)
e pluribus unum I've always felt was so beautiful because it's an admonition to remember that the beauty and strength of the American experiment is in the
belief that we can and should strive to be diverse, free-thinking, and unified as a nation.
you spoke couple times of the motto “in God we trust” being re-enforced in schools,,, i’m curious to know why children in kentucky schools weren’t interviewed about their views on this???? do they feel okay about it or feel less than??? or feel nothing at all???
Grace the woman conducting the segment doesn't have the right to interview school-age children without the parents consent and attempting to do so especially on a topic like the first amendment could be problematic, especially in a country where many people say they're christian but have never actually read the bible.
Because you need to get parental permission. You can't just show up and start interviewing kids. Plus when you start bringing kids into your videos CZcams shuts down your comment sections.
Separation of Church and State. That's all.
This goes deep into the roots of the European monarchy persecuting Christians. The freedom to worship God as one sees fit.
Im from New Zealand where we have a different relationship with religion and the separation of church and state. I still think there is not the amount of separation there should be here - because the church that is connected is christian but its really interesting to see the differences. The speaker of the house in our Parliament removed a reference to jesus from the parliamentary prayer a couple of years ago, which people weren't too happy with but he kept the term 'almighty god', he conferred with religious leaders and said his goal was to have inclusivity of religions in a prayer that is said everyday in parliament. On the flipside we have new political parties that are trying to form for this election that are christian based and believe our country needs more church in the state.
Love this series!
Our prime minister Jacinda also took a non-religious oath when she was sworn in - no god and no bible
+catherinetomlinson That's so interesting. Thanks for enlightening us!
The whole Bible belt thing is so freakish to me. I live in CT and for the most part it's live & let live. The biggest issue I have is with Jehovah Witness'. As soon as Summer hits they're out like crazy. They ignore my posted notices & even left me hand written letters. It's outrageous. I wonder how they would like it if I knocked on their door everyday to chat about my faith? As far as church & state, it should always remain separate, always.
I had that problem in one neighborhood. I started inviting them in but, while they are talking to me, I'd cook a meal and sit down to eat while they were still standing. I never offered them any food. Or I would let them start their spiel, then call a friend on the phone. It didn't take long for them to get the word out; they never came back and they never left their propaganda on my door.
I grew up in the DC-Metro area, and we had JW’s plaguing the neighborhood too! If you made the mistake of answering the door, they’d yap your ear off no matter how politely or firmly you tried to end the conversation. If you pretended you weren’t home, they’d bang on the door for five minutes, then they’d stuff tracts in the storm door on the way out.
I now live in a rural, much redder county that’s crawling with conservative Christians and Cult 45 devotees (yes, I’m aware that this can be a grammatical redundancy), but up here our proselytizers are Mormons and the occasional Baptists. If you tell them you’re happy with the religion you’ve got, they’ll at least shut up and leave you alone, but every so often I’ll be of a mood to be obnoxious and school the Baptists about non-Christian viewpoints (which is especially fun since I’m a Wiccan!). The Mormons are of different stripe, and I’ve had plenty of fun rap sessions on my front porch explaining to them about my Wiccan path, which they enjoy learning about. It’s a nice change of pace to be able to chat with people who are willing to learn!
I think it's important that we really look at the comment section. They speak volumes.....Most of the religious people who are commenting are saying hateful an disrespectful things. Those of us who do not believe in their god are trying to have a healthy discussion by talking kindly to one another, asking questions, and sharing our stories. I'm not saying ALL of the comments but the majority that I see. Just something to think on.
I can say with great certainty that this is one of the few shows on youtube which I eagerly wait for each episode to be released. Thank you to the hole team for the fantastic content of State of
Grace. Aldought I´m not American nor do I live in America or am religious, this show is great to reflect on common issues (Portugal is a very religious contry). Engaging in conversation with someone you dont share the same opinion with, find some fundaments for good argumentation, view perspecitives that would otherwise be difficult for me to contact,are some of the things I appreciate here.
Please continue with the great work!
+marianapoteazeredo We are so glad you are loving the show! This thoughtful comment made our day!
Yes! As a non-christian I remember feeling extremely isolated growing up especially in school and during "Christmas vacation". Then if you dare to speak up even in an extremely polite and considerate way you're made out to be a god hater or as a staff members secretary at my community college said when I asked for a meeting with her boss about issues on campus (harassment by Christian groups of non Christian students, screaming at as we were going to hell, following and harassing us etc. and tons of school wide Christmas celebrations and decorations on a super multicultural campus) I was screamed at and asked why I hate Christmas even after I explained I don't and I would really just like to schedule an appointment with the person and discuss it with her rather than fighting with her secretary if I even have a right to be bothered at all. Of course she refused to even schedule an appointment for me so I had to track this person down myself and the secretary was never spoken to, reprimanded or anything for her nasty behavior when I literally couldn't have been nicer or more professional. Religion should have no place in school.
Also I find it strange that people who are saying "what about Allah and Yahweh" don't understand that using the word Yahweh is incredibly offensive and even as a pretty secular Jew and Hebrew speaker I find it to be quite shocking to hear. People usually say Elohim which is still a name for god that Hebrew speakers and many Jews won't say outside of in prayer, if you want to use the most common term for god it's "Hashem" which literally translates as "the name" but it's used as a place holder for the more holy names even by secular Jews, even many Jews that don't believe in God use the term Hashem out of respect for other people. Overall I enjoyed this video and appreciate that they covered how crap it is to have someone else's religion forced on you. Also loved grace in this whole series, she did a wonderful job.
k but grace is a fashion icon
+annaw Right?!
“Linguistic colonialism” is a very insightful way of putting it.
As an atheist (and as I’m sure many non-christians will agree), it is so offensive that our country that was founded on separation of church and state now has in god we trust printed on all the money. Everyday in school, I had to say the American pledge of allegiance and Texan pledge of allegiance, both of which said “under god.” And many of our patriotic songs say things like “god bless America.”
I'm not really in to religion, but if I remember right, even Jesus asked for the division between religion and goverment, after all he supposedly said:
Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's, didn't he?
Thank you for exploring this topic. I feel like our voices are silenced. Also, thank you for leaving the comments enabled so that we can have an open dialogue. 💜
+iheartigloos Thank you for leaving a respectful comment here!
If they want to have "in god they trust" on the wall in a public school, they should have to have it as part of a list, including Allah etc. Just make it fair.
But what if your God (or Allah or Yahweh or etc) isn’t a “god”? What if it’s a GODDESS? Or playing devil’s advocate, what if it’s Satan? Or Odin? Or etc etc etc....That’s the reason why NONE of it should be on a public wall/space. Because there will always be people who aren’t represented equally. And isn’t that what America was founded on? “Equality” for all? (Although OBVIOUSLY this was NEVER achieved 🙄)
@@vilanyas.1808 god (allah means god in arabic and muslims believe in the thora and bible so it's the same god) and god has no gender it's not a men hight in the sky or something we humans can not see god it's just so simple to try and think and describe it as some greek god figure
@@vilanyas.1808 idk man, " in gods's/ goddesses, demons etc we trust?" the point i was making is that if they want to be listed they have to be inclusive, bc if there's one thing conservatives hate more then not getting their way, its having to compromise and/or share lmao
@@molly__88 im in the uk but go off lmao, i actually live between 5 christian churches, 2 muslim ones (i am not gonna look up how to spell them just to make a point im on mobile) and another for satanists. im just chilling being a gay atheist lol, idm what you be doin as long as you be doin it without making me join in. the same stance i have for vegan/vegetarian/and yoga lol
+charlie Exactly!
These bible belt US countries are so creepy,at least for someone from Europe
No
I enjoy Grace so much...what a smart and witty person.
Separation of church and state is something America loves to say we stand by but not actually implement.
My parents are very evangelical Christians and even they believe in the separation of church and state. My mum always reminds other Christians that our country was founded by people who wanted a freedom of religion, to worship whom and how they want. They also used to run an exchange student program where we got kids from all over the world so that people in our small very white and very Christian town could be exposed to many different cultures and ways of thinking.
Will Refinery29 ever cover the issues or atheists in society? We face global, systematic discrimination and face persistent social pressure to hide our rational philosophy and constantly accommodate religious people without reciprocal accommodation.
The idea that "In God We Trust" should just be interpreted as whatever your personal god is is just a bandaid on the issue. Not everyone is religious and has a god that they place their trust in nor is everyone who IS religious part of the Big Three or Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. I myself am a Hellenist which means that I worship the ancient Greek Hellenist pantheon. In particular, my patron deity is Hecate, a goddess of female empowerment, crossroads, and death. In God We Trust does not incorporate my goddess or acknowledge the many other gods that I worship alongside Her. Could I replace the word God with Goddess or Gods in my mind? Yes. But I shouldn't have to. This is supposed to be a nation of free worship with no favored religion. In God We Trust should never have been made the national motto in the 50's. I used to be a Christian. I happily grew up in the church and in the Bible Belt and at the time, I saw nothing wrong with things like this bc "well Christianity is the only way so of course it's displayed everywhere". And then my faith and my church failed me and I could no longer reconcile the message I had of who God was with the hateful and spiteful and entitled Church that spoke for him. And no, someone saying that they trust in God does not offend me. Professing that you have a strong faith in any religion does not offend me. The issue is from the STATE, someone who has power over you and informs the beliefs of the country, saying that they have this preference. It's no secret that Christianity has embedded itself in every corner of our government as the majority religion. The problem is that laws and mandates are being passed based on these beliefs and these beliefs ARE detrimental to other groups. Namely, people who are not Christian and LGBT people as it is not the accepting Christians are doing these things. It was clearly shown that getting marriage equality removed and gay adoption banned were big ticket items for this movement. Asking Christians to not lord their beliefs over others is not religious oppression. What you guys do to everyone else, however mild compared to other countries, absolutely is. And please do not comment with "well, Christians who hurt other people or chase people out of the Church aren't REAL Christians." No. They ARE Christians and it's about time for Christians who aren't like that to start taking responsibility for them and admitting that it is a black stain on your church that needs to be addressed. That the message of your faith is directly leading to their existence.
very informative.
I remember being forced to stand during the pledge during school and feeling really uncomfortable. So when I was, I just would skip “under god”. As an athiest, I really don’t like that people are trying to change how I have to live my life when I don’t have the same religion as them. Luckily in high school it was less forced and I could say that I don’t like saying the pledge and would prefer to sit, but I would still be forced to stand sometimes.
As an atheistic/humanist Louisvillian, I approve this message.
Wow , to me , when this administration wants schools to “ go Christian” its a brainwashing technique.
America is heading towards The Handmaid's Tale, and it's really disturbing.
“This is bad.” I love her
Jesus believed in the separation of church and state.
Mark 12: 17 "Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him."
Jesus taught against ostentatious religiosity
Matthew 6:1-34
“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward."
I'm German but I still found this so interesting and important! Great job, Grace!
I know this isn't about the topic but I'm a straight girl and I find Grace soooo cute in an androgynous way. I dig her style
Married male here; and Same.
Would it be possible if you could cover the story for the plan to save a popular Netflix series called AnneWith An E? It’s a period drama based in Canada that is all-inclusive (feminism, people of color, religions, sexualities, cultures, etc.) & beautifully narrates the trials & tribulations of issues that are unfortunately still prominent in today’s society. It’s a wonderful, award-winning) story yet Netflix has chosen to cancel after three seasons (statement released November 25th, 2019) due to a split with the Canadian company that co-produces the show, leaving the cast/crew & fans devastated. The news of the cancellation has led to an uproar from the fans, with a petition of over 160k signatures and garnering more than 15.5 million tweets within two months under multiple hashtags to save the series. The most popular being #RenewAnneWithAnE. The numbers are growing at a significant rate. The topic of your story: How fans have developed a process of saving media content in a way that has never before been an option. This show means a great deal & although it covers harsher topics it stays family-friendly. It's also worth noting the series is majority written and directed by an incredible group of women. More and more media outlets are picking up our story, even catching the attention of Ryan Reynolds & Sam Smith, leading them to demand the renewal of the show as well. There have also been multiple fan-funded billboards in both Toronto & Times Square to bring awareness to the campaign! Your help would be greatly appreciated!
PETITION: www.change.org/p/awae-fans-renew-anne-with-an-e-for-season-4
I just started watching this. It's a fantastic show!
Andrea Ha Oh, how I envy those watching it for the first time, lol! I hope you continue to enjoy it!
Thank you for letting us know about it! I loved watching this show and really hoped it could go on and on!
Does it have any trans characters? I want to see trans characters, directors, writers, etc
I felt your excitement and love for the show. I will watch and 👍🏼. I appreciate you bringing attention to this.
I'm atheist but I enjoy these videos they hella educational
I’ve always wondered how Xmas can be considered a bank holiday for this very reason. I’ve also wondered about the pledge of allegiance as well. I don’t agree with that line at all. And prayer in public school? Absolutely not!
“Give unto Caesar what is of Caesar, and Give to God what is of God,” & “My kingdom is not of this World,” - Yeshua
As a Kentuckian who’s queer and atheist, I’m glad to see you visit my state. I also love that you lived here!!
If you want to come to town, I highly recommend checking out the Covington Pride. It’s a very small town feel but right next to Cincinnati and a huge portion of the booths are local artisans. I’m having a booth this year (I’m the Crafty Cyborg, my best friend is Gremlin Woodworks) at it and can’t wait!
Here in Australia public schools are not allowed to have an outlook on religion. When I moved from my super strict religious private school to public high school I was so relieved to not have Jesus bullshit shoved down my throat in every classroom, every morning at endless boring assemblies and chapels, praying in a dark room around a candle in one of my form classes (yikes).
The ironic thing is that every single student I know that has gone to that school strictly refuses to believe in god lmao
i was originally worried about clicking on this video because of dumb reasons of thinking that it was going to be one-sided as hell but im glad that your opened my eyes to understanding.
Hey Grace, hello from Belgium! I love your work :)
Freedom means freedom, period. Not for some, for all.
I grew up Christian and since my teen years I have strived to be inclusive but also because when I don't agree with the common themes of a group I tend to avoid common words of that group. When I post on Facebook for instance that some sort of possible divine intervention has happened to me that day I use the term "universe or world" not because I believe the solar system has anything to do with what happened but because I choose to not attach a group to that, anyone can interpret their own meaning. I have many friends who are Christian, many who are atheist, and many who have other beliefs I am not choosing to be PC I am choosing to let people interpret what they want and not challenge what I say. I had friends who became upset since I frequently used the term you guys to my group of girlfriends not because of any ill intention just because its a common expression, I now use y'all because it's a great term to be inclusive with people with unknown pronouns or just a collective of people in general. I am so happy that my friend told me they had felt hurt by being misidentified even in the most common of ways and now when I have people in my life with different pronouns and those who have changed their prefered pronouns I either ask or use inclusive wording because its never the intent to hurt someone but if it's pointed out to you, you cant claim you didn't know.
In Elemetry school I went to a catholic school. We said the pledge and then prayed and I didn't think about that. Then in 5th grade I moved to a public school. And we didn't. And i didn't notice the difference. I didn't feel as if something was off. I didn't know exactly what any of it meant and I didn't care. Then in 11th grade my high school decided that they were going to have to do the pledge. And it felt weird so I respectfully just didn't stand. And this was the same time the whole kneeling for the pledge came out. And then I listened. I'm a white bisexual cisgendered female athiest. I pass for a white female straight christian. And I realised while I pass for it I'm not it. I don't believe in god and having to say I do feels so wrong. I have siblings who don't pass as white and I'd see the head turns and hear the racism that comes out because they dont pass for white. I've watched countless news alerts about mass shootings. And hear countless stories of sexual assault/rape. The anger that year grew so much that it felt like I would break if I actually told people why I personally didn't stand that I would break. Its because I personally felt like it was just another way to brainwash people into doing what they were told. To not think. And then eventually just be able to not only believe but recite at a moments notice. It was robotic and creepy. It meant nothing because it was a lie. And then the next year I had a teacher tell me to at least stand... For the troops🤷. I did because get asked me to. Each time it felt worse. I could have just said no, I had the right to. But it didn't feel like I had that right. Im not allow to think for myself and stand up for what I feel is right. I know its small and stupid for most. But it was a lot wrapped in it.
YAY YAY YAY! My favorite show on the internets!!!!!!!!!!
+sarahdowns OMG, yay! :)
In the US, separation of Church and State was made to keep STATE from CHURCH's business. Not the other way around. That is why in the US, religious people don't see any issue with religion guiding politics openly.
In France, the separation of CHURCH and STATE was to keep CHURCH out of STATE. That is why we don't like it when people are in your face with their religion. We think it is something private only between you and your god. It is also why there are so many problems with Islam here and to a smaller account, with born again evangelical Christian.
Always amazing, y'all. I look forward to new episodes! Thank you for being openhearted and intelligent with your inquiries.
Americans would freak out.
We’re all piled at the bottom
of that slippery slope, fighting it
out.
This should have WAY more views!
Very much needed! The whole reason people came to America was to flee religious persecution! Love your videos❤️❤️
AM I THE ONLY ONE HERE WHO NEVER CARES ABOUT RELIGION ? LIKE DUHHH DOES IT REALLY MATTER AFTER ALL ?
JUST SHARING. NO HATE. JUST LOVE.
Cristinee Calasang II The problem is, that religious groups use it to interfere in government and laws.
I wouldn’t care about fundamentalist religion if people didn’t use it to shame me and other people who don’t believe/are attracted to the same gender. If it didn’t hurt people I wouldn’t care, but it does so I do.
Separation of church and state is absolutely essential.
It would be nice to have a government that represents everyone, not just people who believe in God. I think a lot of people just go with the flow so they can be included in the majority.
Teandra Sweet Tea 100% agreed!
"In God we trust, but don't trust us.
We just add to the ashes, then kick up the dust." -Xzibit
WHO IS CENSORING Refinery 29? Is anyone censoring anything here? It is called HER freedom and the right to her opinion. Bless you young person.
The motto "In God We Trust" is a clear case of violating the commandment not to take God's name in vain.
The only thing that is necessary is that something out there is greater than yourself....and with me saying that most people say I am atheist. Because the greater being is unknown to myself so I choose no religion. But I do belive that there is something greater than human out there...i will find out what is what when my mind and body gives way and my soul lives on but I will never be able to tell others what to believe because my mind and body hasn't experienced it yet.
The reason I’m subscribed is videos by grace
I’ve heard it said that saying “I believe that is wrong so I don’t do it” is freedom of religion in action. However, saying “I believe that is wrong so I don’t do it and even though you may not think it’s wrong you also can’t do it” is religious tyranny in action. Seems pretty obvious which side those going on about “religious liberty” are on.
Religion and politics together is a recipe for disaster
Binging this just feels... Comfortable, you know?
I'm a big Christian and my whole family is I don't know who I would be without God and Jesus.
I am a Christian, and I think that people should do what they want to do, they should be able to have and practice their religion, (Unless it involves killing or similar) even our Bible says that people should have free will and I respect people who have a different (or no) religion who don't say that we shouldn't be here because we are "Taking the normal people's oxygen" like I have experienced before. I think we should all just respect others religions.
In 1980, an 10x12-inch framed plaque listing the Ten Commandments (in an ecumenical version approved by Christian and Jewish groups) had to be displayed in all Kentucky public school classrooms. Strategically placed near the entrance, these plaques ere mostly ignored after an initial hoopla. A chemistry teacher (who was an atheist) covered hers with a large periodic table of elements to show her disapproval. Within a year the display was ruled unconstitutional and the plaques came down. Even religious teachers had to remove them because they "established religion" in the classroom.