An answer to a question

I recently received an email from a friend, and in it was the following statement: "It is said that 86% of Americans believe in God. Why don't we just tell the other 14% to sit down and be quiet?"

Well, here's my answer: The first amendment. In case you've forgotten, the first amendment states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

When the majority of a nation starts to tell the minority that they do not have same rights and privileges of the majority because they don't believe in the same things, we inch perilously close to becoming like Middle Eastern countries where converting to Christianity is a death sentence.
Let us put the shoe on the other foot for a moment. Let us say, for the sake of argument, that the percentages are reversed. Let us say that if 86% of American's DIDN'T believe in God, does that mean that the 14% that DO should sit down and be quiet? What sort of freedom is that? How would that make you feel?
We value our civil liberties in this country. At least we value them as long as we're in the majority and everybody agrees with us. But as soon as somebody disagrees, well that's another story, isn't it? Now we want to deny those who disagree with us the RIGHT to disagree with us. We want to deny them the same rights we enjoy; the right to say what they think; the right to marry; the right to assemble. We want them to sit down and shut up because they're wrong and we're right, and we don't want to think beyond our preconceived beliefs and ideas.
Luckily, a safeguard was placed into our Constitution guaranteeing that even those with whom we disagree still have a voice. Any American should have the same rights and priviliges as every other American, including the right to say what is on their minds, the right to marry, the right to assemble and bear arms and all of the other freedoms we enjoy.
We Americans value our freedoms, whether we realize it or not. We especially value our freedom of speech. Our brave men and women who have fought and died in our various wars did not do so so that we could tell people to sit down and shut up.