20 – Introduction to a Pair
Regarding Mark’s Goal – Mark interviews people who are frequently invisible in society - the unhoused, the sex worker, the chronic drug user, the runaway, the gang member, the poor and the sick. He states his goal is to highlight that many of the people he interviews have been damaged during childhood from abusive parenting. He hopes positive actions can be taken to encourage better parenting in our society.
Are the conditions documented by Mark isolated, but an intergyral part of the general, negative social challenges experienced in our society today. Is it possible that both “conservative” and “liberal” improvement efforts are only addressing symptoms of problems and not focusing on root causes of the problems, including abusive parenting?
Do paired messages 20 and 21 highlight conservative and liberal concepts that are not part of national dialogues that hinder our society’s efforts to make a better life environment for us all?
Religious War on Liberty?
The Bill of Rights – Amendment One: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Americans have a complex relationship with religious beliefs. We share a general knowledge that many immigrants came here to escape religious intolerance by governments across the oceans. Most understand and support the idea that citizens are to be allowed to practice the religion or denomination of their choice.
Few are knowledgeable of historic facts related to harsh realities associated with government or citizen mob actions associated with rigid enforcement of “state religions.” An example can include Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572, during which thousands of French Huguenots were murdered in the streets. The murderous conflict resulted from the planned marriage of the Catholic, King Charles IX’s sister’s marriage to a Protestant. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bartholomew%27s_Day_massacre)
But there is little thought or discussion on whether “freedom from religion” or “freedom from other’s religions” is included in the First Amendment. For example, there exist many differences among Christian denominations regarding Biblical concepts. Is it possible conflict within American society is partially based on religious groups gaining enough voting power to enact their religious beliefs into unconstitutional laws so that others, acting upon their different religious views, can be criminally charged?
Factual American history, indicates the common exercise of a broad scope of personal actions that have become restricted through passage of laws based one denomination’s religious views. Should such laws be investigated based on being violations of First Amendment freedoms of religion?
The Ken Burns miniseries on Prohibition might provide some insight into these questions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_(miniseries)
Joseph L. Bass, EdD 10/6/2025