Some may think this disrespectful. It is not intended to be so. I am watching some of the great ceremony in Washington, D.C., for the pope, and having some thoughts concerning it.

I have watched other greetings of heads of state in the past. I have not seen this type of ceremony for any of them, either at the White House, and certainly not in a stadium with a seventy five foot alter. Many thousands of people are gathered there along with much pompt and ceremony. It is a beautiful sight.

We live in a free country. I am thankful for that blessing. I am thankful for freedom of religion, but there is a problem, an inconsistency, with this freedom in our country, and I am looking at it right now.

If I, as an elder in the church of Christ, wanted to make arrangements to hold a meeting with similar arrangements as is going on at present with the pope, I would be denied, and probably laughed at for such a notion. Separation of church and state, you know.

My thoughts or questions are, why does this separation apply in certain situations, but not in all. Obviously, I am watching a religious ceremony, with prayers, teaching, many mentions of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and communion. Why is this allowed and supported by our government, but I can't read, or in some cases even have, a bible in a school. If the pope can teach scriptures, and scriptural principles why am I not allowed to confront false doctrines in class books in our schools? Why can I not ask for God's blessings at a ball game or graduation, but the pope can ask blessings at a government supported religious event.

You say the government is not supporting this event, it is the Catholic church. I beg to differ. This event has cost thousands and probably millions of tax payer dollars for security, and other things, and is supported from our President on down.

Do I dislike the pope or Catholics? NO! I am just wondering why our freedom of religion is being snuffed out in about any government built building, or associated event, but the rules change in this type of situation. What happened to my right to confront teaching that is obviously against the scriptures, in State and Federal supported class books, while the government allows evolutionary teaching by professors, school teachers etc. Freedom of religion is a right I have under the Constitution, as well as the pope, that I should be able to exercise without government interference. God tells me to preach the gospel (Mt. 28:19,20). That is what I want the freedom to do.

Jack