Truth...or lack thereof

I got a quote in my email this morning. It is a great quote. Wouldn't it be great if it were true?

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."– Theodore Seuss Giesel

Because, it's not, you know. True, that is. Because if it were true, then my son's friend's eyes wouldn't bug out and they wouldn't run to tell mama when he says that he is not sure if he believes in god yet. If it were true, I might not have told him yesterday that some people are very uncomfortable with a lack of believing in a god and that he might want to consider not talking about it so much. I essentially told him to hide what he thinks to avoid persecution. I don't tell people, generally, even when they ask me flat out (which is something they do around here) where I go to church. I don't go.

But.

Wouldn't it be great if I could say what I think on the street and not be persecuted? Wouldn't it be great if Americans were afforded a freedom from religion as well as their freedom of religion? Wouldn't it be great if the same amount of tolerance and understanding that I generously give to others of all faiths was afforded to those who think for themselves? But that isn't the way it works. Because the majority of people think that it is immoral to think outside of the box and people who don't believe in a god have no basis for ethics because they don't have an imaginary friend who they personally believe rules the world... The people who believe these things really do count. They are my children's teachers and day care providers. They are my relatives. They are my neighbors. They are my friends.

No, better to stay hushed up and not be ostracized. Better to escape persecution for having a mind of my own.