A recently erected statue in Sugarland, Texas, is causing uproar among parts of the local Christian community.

There are many religions

The world is big and full of different people and faiths. It’s ironic that a country founded on the flight from religious persecution often reacts violently when confronted with a faith that is not a form of Christianity. You can debate this all you want, but maybe read this first:

“Congress shall make no law Founding a religionor the prohibition of free exercise of that”

In case you’re wondering, that’s the iron law that allows you in America to believe what you want to believe – or not believe at all.

The statue

On August 15, a massive statue was unveiled at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land. The statue is so large that it is now the third largest statue in the United States. The figure is Hanuman, a Hindu deity who is usually depicted with a human body and a monkey face. The statue is 90 feet tall, but stands on private property and was built with private funds.

The freak out

I am not sure that I need to address the Christian objections to the statue. Rather than ignoring or rejecting them, it will A WHOLE THING. A whole “I reject this in the name of Jesus” thing. Yes, since it represents something different from what they were taught, it is now “demonic.” There have been protests and there are some concerns that it will lead to violence or hatred against Hindus. At least one church has shown up to walk around the statue in an anti-clockwise direction (because that’s not weird at all).

Be nice

I realize that most religions require strict adherence to their tenets. I also realize that most require you to be kind to your neighbor and treat others as you would like to be treated. Remember that your religion is popular in your small part of the world and that other people, right or wrong, will have different views. These people did not put up this statue to upset anyone, they did it because in America they have the freedom to practice their faith however they want. In other words, the protesters are not making Hindus look bad, they are just making Christians look worse.