Elementary, my dear Watson

Ever heard of Watson, Louisiana?  Population 1965?

I think that may also be the year some of the good citizens of Watson are still living in.

Being a native Louisianian, I couldn't help finding both amusement and animosity in a story that recently made the news.

You may have read it too.

First - even if we aren't "worldly", we do know that "freedom of religion" in the States is for everybody, right? 

This brings me back to dear Watson.  Louisiana.  In Louisiana, I understand Governor Jindal pushed for a voucher program that would allow state funds to be used to pay for religious schools.  

The voters also thought it was a good idea.

Tax dollars at work.

Now, here's the part making news . . . Rep. Valarie Hodges from Watson (Louisiana) was all in favor of this voucher program until . . . she learned that Christianity isn't the only religion.

Holy she-ott!  There's more than one religion out there?  In Louisiana?

Yes.  She actually thought that "freedom of religion" meant only her own religion. 

Rep. Hodges said she had no idea that Gov. Jindal's educational overhaul would mean taxpayer support of all religious schools.

I imagine Rep. Hodges has since gotten a lesson on how the approximate numbers stack up around the world: 

- Somewhere between 30 and 35% of people in the world are Christian.
  
- That's over 2  billion people . . . 

which is slightly less than the approximate 37% who are Muslims and Hindus.

- These make up 23% and 14% respectively.

- Only about half a million people (6%) are Buddhist . . .

and over a billion people ( about 16%) are not religious at all.

Obviously a huge percentage of these huge percentages don't live in Louisiana.  And actually, most Christians live in Mexico and South America because they're almost all Catholic and Catholics make up more than half of all Christians.

It's a really big world out there with a lot of people in it.  Americans are a fraction of it at 4.5% and Louisiana is a fraction of that fraction.  Perhaps it isn't surprising that Rep. Hodges is in that little bubble that has forgotten about that other 95.5% of the rest of the world . . . or the 65 to 70% of people who worship differently or not at all.  Even in Louisiana.

As the article I read, by Rob Boston, stated . . . "Hodges' bigotry is perhaps only rivaled by her ignorance of constitutional and legal principles."  Elementary.  

What to do?  The author of the article I read had a good idea - let parochial schools - whatever they may be - pay for themselves.

After all, the Catholics have been doing it since the 1700's.