On January 3, 2017, it seems Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome behaves as the unity-maker declared in her campaign. But I am concerned about the united factions---united on racism and church. A united society does not mean a civic society. I think the alienated factions will reject mayoral tyranny. Trying to impose a personal god on the citizens of a city in the United States is unconstitutional.

This essay is the product of thirty months’ collaboration by over fifty people, primarily in EBRP library meetings. It proposes a culture of safety & security. That very idea---safety & security---is known to be too radical for people. And the writer is reputed to be unable to write. Therefore, it makes no religious sense to read further.

Enough has happened to get our attention

Most citizens may understand civic morality and want its safety & security in Baton Rouge. However, perhaps 1/3 prefer or tolerate ongoing conflict for dominant-opinion. Civic morality to save lives differs from political moralities to maintain socio-economic classism. However, some religions save souls by sacrificing lives. But a civic people may nudge government toward public-integrity.

Mutual appreciation is a key to civic morality. Appreciation’s greatest power is that it neither imposes nor tolerates coercion yet maintains defense.[i] Earning appreciation is a challenge “we, the people” neglect merely because that’s the way it’s always been. It is common sense to resist coercion but common practice to yield to conformity. People are gullible; we humans want to believe. An appreciative culture or civic culture has both integrity[ii] and fidelity to justice.

Talk of fidelity may seem strange in a land dominated by faith and adult entertainment. But fidelity seems a neglected, beneficial practice.

Actually effecting justice: the people

We don’t know the-objective-truth[iii] (TOT) but are constantly informed: God is in control. If we don’t agree, we may be sent to Coventry[iv], but there, we’ll have good company, as you may read below. Beginning my eighth decade earnestly considering theism, it seems to me the-entity-in-control long ago, expressed this commission: The people who live in this place are responsible for broadly-defined-civic-safety-and-security on Earth,[v] hereafter, Security. Remember Security, but please memorize the full phrase: broadly-defined-civic-safety-and-security. Regardless of TOT about God, it seems prudent to privately choose to iteratively collaborate for Security so that each civic person may pursue his or her personal dream, whether God is involved in his or her hopes or not. Civic justice comes from Security provided by the people and is neutral to religion, a private pursuit to satisfy heartfelt, personal concerns. That is to say, one person’s private concerns cannot be imposed on another person’s private pursuits (except by coercion or force).

I capitalize Security, not to pretend it’s a god, but to represent an idea: civic-morality for individual-independence. “Civic” refers to human connections for real-no-harm living in this place. In other words, civic people practice Fidelity because they want to enjoy the civic benefits rather than to satisfy some tradition, ideology, or society.

We assert that civic people may collaborate for Security so that each person may pursue real-no-harm private interests privately. Among the private interests are fidelity among families, pursuits of the arts and sports, and pursuit of trust and commitment. Social examples include religious association, philosophies, or other real-no-harm ideologies. The idea that the goodness we see in the eyes of a child cannot be naturally nourished is a product of social constructs that have brought us to the present state of global dysfunction. There exists here in Baton Rouge a theory for how to end social injustice: it is this proposal for iterative collaboration.

The civic standard

In iterative-collaboration there must be critical thought mediated by an ethical standard.[vi] We propose as standard the-indisputable-facts-of-reality, hereafter, The Facts. Traditionally, standards are negotiated based on dominant opinion, commonly using reason rather than waiting for discovery. That is, people tend to be too impatient to wait for TOT. The discoveries may be used to create interrelated theories by which the undiscovered facts may be rationalized. For example, based on what has been discovered, it is unknown yet likely that extraterrestrial intelligence exists.

The consequence of the traditional domestic struggle is temporal, dominant-opinion, often by a religion-government-partnership.[vii] Often the partnership tacitly holds that the majority of citizens have not the propriety to collaborate: The individual does not know how to spend his or her life. Only the elite can discover civic morality. That argument has been self-fulfilling in social morality, but we purpose to reform to civic morality. Under the elite class, there seems little promise of cultural evolution toward civic justice. For example, while ceremonial human sacrifice has been substantially eradicated from the Earth, slavery is a modern struggle for dominance, perhaps somewhat softened by the power-expression, “supremacy.” Moreover, the elites care little for the many children who are born to never experience human appreciation. Elite education exponentially better than public education is an accepted order in social morality. Harsh reality may be deemed radical by people who do not want to accept the writing: to the victim, it seems TOT. Also, when TOT is being stated, the standard response is, the writer has no writing skills. Often, the guilty simply walk, effectively ostracizing themselves from the opportunity for public-integrity as civic morality.

Some people use religious scripture to justify the slave and master relationship[viii] and commonplace child abuse. “There, but for the Grace of God go I,” they say. However, the evil of slavery is made plain by physics and its offspring, psychology[ix]: chains, whips, brutality and rape to slaves with psychological burdens to slave-masters. Indeed, physics is the source of reality, both concrete and imagined. For example, President George W. Bush imagined his supernatural father’s influence and on personal religious belief ordered the USA to invade Iraq. What was religiously imagined became disastrous reality. The woe is still unfolding. In another example, Christian ministers in the South imagined their erroneous Bible interpretation would invoke God’s power to overcome a seven-slave-states to twenty-seven states military disadvantage and win the Civil War. Religion-government-partners led an apathetic people to secede[x] from the USA! These two examples illustrate that religion-government-partnership cannot be the mediator for civic morality. So, what may the people use for public-integrity? We assert that the people may systematically discover and utilize The Facts.

Civic obligations

The people may categorize the civic obligations by grouping them within the goals of the preamble to the constitution for the USA. Security is a civic obligation, especially to posterity--- think children and grand-children, yours if true. The modifier “broadly-defined” opens iterative-collaboration[xi] to all aspects of personal Security, notably financial-viability. An adult who is providing a civically needed service may be paid enough to live on and save & invest for the future. After needs are met, wants may be considered; more about wants is a topic for iterative-collaboration.[xii] The civic person voluntarily practices fidelity to each The Facts, self, immediate family, extended families, the people, the nation, the world, and the universe, both respectively and collectively, heretofore and hereafter, Fidelity. Fidelity is a civic obligation for justice. Breaching Fidelity begs woe, not only to the offender.

An encompassing example will help illustrate the importance of Fidelity. Consider a couple forming a family. Both civic and personal duty begins with establishing personal autonomy. Perhaps at about age ten, the adolescent privately establishes personal autonomy---the opportunity and obligation to make choices for personal benefit. The fertile woman with personal autonomy effects collaborative association with her viable ova. She seeks a mate whose personal autonomy empowers collaborative association for life. An authentic man is aware of and protects a woman’s obligations to her viable ova, and thereby exercises collaborative association for life. He would threaten well-being of neither the woman nor her viable ova, but would commit to them for life. Thereby the couple’s fidelities carry through to grandchildren and beyond. A civic culture nudges authentic relationships for continuity.

Rather than tolerate abuse of children, the culture nudges procreation toward viability and balance. Viability takes into account extant understanding of how to coach a newborn through childhood and adolescent unto civic maturity. In other words, if the culture does not know how to provide an infant the opportunity for a full life, the culture nudges adults not to procreate. The culture protects the metaphysical-child-waiting-to-be-born from neglect or abuse. A civic culture is obligated to expect that the newborn will have the opportunity for a viable future. By no imagination are children born merely to satisfy adult appetites, such as the single woman who just wants someone to love or “to be a mother, too.” When children are born into a cycle of abuse, the people fail Security. In today’s social morality, elites control economics so that they can live the high-life plus financially carry the abused poor into oblivion. They maintain the poor as consumers but not owners in free-enterprise.

Much more must be written and iteratively collaborated to establish this and other aspects of Security, and this serves only as an example of the importance of Fidelity. In other words, these issues are beyond one person’s ability and prerogative to determine: but they may be iteratively collaborated by a civic people. By all means, the poor have the civic propriety to require morality wherein a person who supplies a needed function receives enough of GDP to live a life of service and save and invest for retirement. However, this reform may be established by iterative-collaboration rather than violence.

The source of obligations

The physics of slavery is but one example that the-indisputable-facts-of-reality derive from energy, mass and space-time, herein Physics.[xiii] In the slavery example, slaves supply energy to create products here and now: in other words, energy, mass and space-time are the objects of slavery. Physics exists. Humankind discovers TOT. Of the animal species, humankind has the psychological power to both discover physics and work to understand how to benefit from each discovery. Once discovered through physics, The Fact is sufficient to draw human Fidelity. This common-sense observation is expressed with sayings like “You don’t throw sand into the wind.” Even harsher in Scots-Irish psychology toward misfortune, “Worse things have happened to better people.” But Fidelity is not at all a negative experience, rather is the essence of all that makes life beautiful. Adult Fidelity fulfills the fantasy of childhood. A harsh reality is that childhood fantasy must be understood in adulthood.[xiv]

When the physics of an issue has not been discovered, persons may rely on the interrelated laws that make up the theory of reality. However, not every person; some are uniformed or incapable; some don’t have common sense; some are dissidents to Fidelity; some are criminal; and some are evil. Like everything else in physics, there are natural variations in human abilities and human will. A civic culture constrains harmful behavior yet is patient for dissidents who have not caused irreparable harm to discover Fidelity.

Physics, so far, seems neutral to the existence of God. With extant tools for perception, it seems there may not be a God, despite claims by some religions. However, humankind has not discovered future means of perception. Humankind does not know the limits of discovery, yet may limit misery and loss that is invited by religious debates such as slavery and hatred. Thereby, people may use religion to solve personal, heartfelt concerns. (I use the word “may” to express these possibilities as choices.) However, since TOT regarding God is not known, no one should object to a person’s real-no-harm religion or none.[xv] On the other hand, the religion that threatens Security cannot be allowed in a civic culture.

A civic culture may enjoy religion on par with the arts

Since Gods are the objects of personal beliefs by persons, a civic culture may accommodate every real-no-harm God and none, just as personal preferences regarding the arts are accommodated. However, when a religion-government-partnership imposes a God onto a people, what does the God represent if not the partnership? Such was the case when the South’s God fired on the North’s God at Fort Sumter. A civic culture therefore protects the individual’s real-no-harm beliefs yet does not brook religion-government-partnerships.[xvi]

Leading from the civic bottom

Baton Rouge has high HIV infection rate[xvii] and high domestic crime rate. In the past half century, some people have sought Security closer to state and federal averages by forming new towns and cities in the parish. St. George advocates now want to divide Baton Rouge itself.

Furthermore, Louisiana, in many categories respecting Security, ranks fiftieth of fifty states. And in many categories, the USA ranks around twenty-five among the nations. Some people, such as Bernie Sanders tout socialism. However, Denmark is not the mecca it is reputed to be:

[Tax redistribution may make] it more comfortable to be poor and less lucrative to be rich, so many young people decide to end their education after high school. The children of rich college graduates are far more likely to grow up to become rich college graduates, even in the world's social-democratic fantasyland. That is because, everywhere, parents matter.[xviii]

A civic culture may observe the evidence and nudge children to take charge of personal upward mobility---take personal responsibility for acquiring understanding.

How can a mayor-president of Baton Rouge lead to higher ground from fiftieth within the twenty-fifth? I propose: Observe rather than transmute history. Focus not on what “the founders” expected but on Security of, for, and by the people living in this place. Establish civic morality in this place and let the example influence Louisiana, next the USA, and perhaps the world. These goals are attainable, and everyone could benefit from success with this course of action.

We know from the past that each successful person needs the freedom to pursue their personal discovery---in other words to discover their successful person. For some, religion is critical to his or her journey. Other people trust and are committed to TOT (the-objective-truth); they admit, both in private and in public, that they do not know the what-is that has not been discovered. Also, they form opinion that conforms to the theory of interrelated discoveries. A civic culture and the government it influences may provide the Security in which each human may privately discover his or her person. Beyond the essential Security, his or her religion is not a civic matter. No one negotiates the God he or she believes in. No one dictates his or her heartfelt concerns. And the religion-politician-partners that try to impose concerns have chosen to be tyrants.

The intentions of the signers were politically defeated and may be restored

Many people use the phrase “the founders” to support what they want to believe about the USA. The founders did not intend a religion-government-partnership. Every generation since then, some twelve generations, have left to us---this generation---the opportunity to establish civic morality as public-integrity.

The intentions of the 2/3 of states delegates who signed the draft constitution for the USA on September 17, 1787, is a matter of record. The signers may be regarded as the nation’s founders, but the 1/3 dissenters changed the consequences, establishing governance “under God” or the religion-government-partnership Chapter XI Machiavellianism warns against.

The 1787 intentions start with a statement of civic purpose, the preamble, which I paraphrase: We the civic people in our states, for the people’s goals stated herein, establish a nation with limited organization and statutes to serve the people in their states. There is a double responsibility to the people to collaborate for civic morality in their state as well as in the nation, and it is common for people to neglect these responsibilities.

The preamble is neutral to religion. However, the religion-government-partnership falsely labeled it “secular,” and partnerships since then have maintained the “political correctness.” With this false label to this day, critics point to the secular dysfunction in Europe, unaware or neglectful that the USA is protected by the civic agreement of the preamble, ignored as it may be. Each person born or naturalized in the USA may choose whether or not to trust and commit to civic morality sought by We the People of the United States, and it seems there will always be dissenters---no totality. However, lessening the dissent is the goal of A Civic People of the United States.

The 1/3 who dissented on September 17, 1787 did so for reasons they understood, and many wrote the Antifederalist Papers to express opposition to the draft constitution. Of general concern were states’ rights and personal rights. Also, inhabitants, former English subjects, were accustomed to Blackstone “common law” and factional Protestantism. Also, the states were split eight with slaves and five without slavery. As a condition for ratification by nine states on June 21, 1788, the Federalists compromised for the first Congress to negotiate a Bill of Rights. This compromise removed the negotiations from the signers to a political body. The first Congress wasted no time, re-establishing a religion-government partnership. Congress hired congressional chaplains in April and May, 1789 at the expense of the people. The negotiated constitution for the USA was ratified on December 15, 1791, over four years after the draft was signed. The religion-government-partnerships have prevailed over the people for 228 years.[xix]

The religion-government-partnership seems whole but is factional

Propaganda holds that the USA is a nation with religious freedom. However, Congress establish legislative Protestant prayer in April and May, 1789, negating the neutrality to religion that is stated in the constitution. The preamble states the purpose of the draft constitution for the USA, which was ratified on June, 21 1788 with promise to add a bill of rights. As a consequence, the USA is bemused by religion-government-partners both domestic and international. The Bill of Rights exacerbated conflict.

Conflict and war are foisted on the world, substantially by competition for dominant political opinion if not military force by three factional Abrahamic monotheisms:

1. Judaism, having evolved beneficent monotheism, holds that the Jews are chosen (by the power that controls reality) to be the vehicle for saving humankind.

a. Rabbinic Judaism has about seven factions

b. Additionally there are Karaites, Samaritans, and more distinct groups

c. The culture of Judaism seems evolved from theocracy toward military power in 2017: survive and thrive while hoping for a promised future.

2. Christianity holds that Jesus is the Messiah that Jewish monotheism promises: the chosen people are those who are elected by God to believe Jesus, and thus, everyone chosen to believe Jesus is saved, including Jews.

a. Christianity is divided on transubstantiation, consubstantiation, remembrance and perhaps other connections to God.

i. Perhaps there are 4000 institutional Christian factions and sects.

ii. Relatively new to the Christian factions is black theology,[xx] and its extreme factions define a new Christianity, with a black God.

b. The promised future seems to be in the personal afterdeath. Life is sin, and death provides salvation for the elect.

i. In extreme black theology, the black-American group reigns supreme.

3. Islam holds the Quran as the word of God (Allāh)

a. There are Sunni, Shia, and Sufism with other factions.

b. Perhaps new to the factions is the Nation of Islam

c. Violence seems integral to traditional fidelity, perhaps excluding Sufism.[xxi]

All three Abrahamic religions have foundations in war and cruelty. Christianity is distinguished by the Great Commission,[xxii] which coerces believers to inform non-believers that they are doomed to eternal misery as souls; few people appreciate that message, but some yield to the psychological oppression. People whose inspirations and motivations do not fall in these Abrahamic theisms nevertheless suffer the misery and loss brought on by the religion-government-partnerships in many of the Abrahamic-world’s nations. This abuse of non-Abrahamic citizens may soon be confronted with the recent enactment of the Republican-sponsored International Religious Freedom Act.[xxiii]

The idea to confront religious competition and to propose public-integrity rather than faith-based policy in Baton Rouge seems preposterous, yet that is the premise of this essay. Since the wide, wide world is so dysfunctional, let Baton Rouge establish public-integrity for its own sake. The task seems daunting, but no one in history has proposed public-integrity this way: No one knows how easy it may be. The key is to collaborate for Security. Therein, every real-no-harm religion may flourish, no matter how many or how few each group of believers may be.

There are and always have been people who propose that the route to peace is to understand and respect each of the real-no-harm religions. However, conforming to one institutional religion is nearly impossible, so understanding even the major ones seems a fruitless undertaking. In the first place a religion cannot be learned: it must be practiced. Second, no two people who practice an institutional religion share beliefs about the religion. The gap is especially large from believer to minister, from minister to institution, and even from pope to pope. However, most people need, want, and understand Security. That is why this proposal may succeed, even though Security has never been tried.

Which religious institutions may flourish here?

What religions are of significant interest in the USA and in Louisiana? How can Baton Rouge help every citizen’s real-no-harm religion flourish? Since each person is in charge of his or her heartfelt concerns, the possibilities are as numerous as the inhabitants. However, we can barely grasp major variations by reviewing lists of religions.[xxiv] We can cross-reference demographics in the USA and in Louisiana.[xxv] Here is a table of religions with 2% or more of Louisiana’s inhabitants compared to the national demographics:

	LA	USA
Catholic	26	20.8
Historically black Protestant	22	6.5
Baptist evangelist and traditional	19	11.3
No religion	13	22.8
Evangelical non-denominational family	6	4.9
Pentecostal evangelist	3	3.6
Methodist mainline	2	3.9
Totals	91.0	73.8

Omitted by the 2%-cut are Buddhists, Mormons, Jews, Muslims, and protestant sects not limited to Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Adventist, Jehovah’s Witness, Lutheran and Holiness. However, representative citizens cannot be excluded, according to both the United States Constitution and the Louisiana Constitution.

The above table might suggest that if unity was based on religion, satisfying the 26% Catholics, 52% Protestants, 13% non-religious, and 9% other religious or 100% would establish “togetherness.” However, there are civic conflicts. Most religions oppress women.[xxvi] Catholics especially encounter coercion regarding reproductive privacy.[xxvii] Christian religions usually construct original, personal sin[xxviii] with Jesus as possible savior rather than purity at birth. And perhaps one-fourth of black church advocates black theology, or political power for the black-American-group[xxix] rather than salvation of the individual. Civic morality is better addressed outside religion. In other words, when civic justice is sought, religious dogma cannot be the determinant. The very idea is a daunting challenge, and, so far in the USA, religion has defeated civic morality.

We appreciate the institutions that oppose subjugation of women and understand biology so as to know that conceptions abort more frequently than gestate to live birth. In other words, the number of natural-abortions exceed the number of live births. The abortions correct biological errors,[xxx] perhaps both physical and psychological. The ultimate natural abortion is the woman’s private decision not to remain pregnant. Use of abortion as a contraceptive measure is beyond the above considerations and seems civically immoral.

Also, as agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana education corporation, I advocate that the human being potentially has the psychological power to perfect his or her unique person; I oppose the thought that most children are born in sin.

How can a religion-government-partnership be maintained when there are large demands for public-integrity, especially respecting children? How can government choose a religion to partner with? Obviously, any religion the people allow, as stated in Chapter XI Machiavellianism.

A culture of Security

With all these considerations, it seems obvious we suggest reform. We propose to establish a civic culture featuring the following elements:

1. Use the preamble to the constitution for the USA to coordinate civic issues.

2. Use the discovered-facts-of-reality to establish civic-morality.

3. At least 2/3 of inhabitants voluntarily collaborate to practice broadly-defined-civic-safety-and-security, hereafter Security.

4. Privately pursue real-no-harm personal hopes and dreams such as religions/none.

5. Practice Fidelity; it warrants appreciation.

6. Iteratively collaborate for Security.

7. Bi-annually celebrate individual-independence.

Our mission is to establish, in Baton Rouge, public-integrity as each citizen’s private-liberty-with-civic-morality, despite the external and internal dysfunctions that burden our residents.

We think this proposal plus Mayor-President Broome’s experiences and observations position her to nudge Baton Rouge toward public-integrity. It may take some time.

[i] My interpretation of Agathon’s speech in Plato’s Symposium, c. 364 B.C. See online at platosymposium.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/agathon%E2%80%99s-speech/ for a typical, I think erroneous interpretation. Then read the text at classics.mit.edu/Plato/symposium.html . Assume verity respecting my claims that 1) Fidelity is the key to civic success and 2) appreciation rather than love is critical to civic morality, strictly to understand my opinion rather than the-objective-truth. My opinion derives from the passage, “His greatest glory is that he can neither do nor suffer wrong to or from any god or any man; for he suffers not by force if he suffers; force comes not near him, neither when he acts does he act by force. For all men in all things serve him of their own free will, and where there is voluntary agreement, there, as the laws which are the lords of the city say, is justice.”

[ii] Integrity incorporates wholeness and factual understanding.

[iii] So many writers express opinion as the truth. However, with respect to every opinion there is the-objective-truth. Once the-objective-truth is discovered, humankind is prudent to understand and make best use of it. The-objective-truth represents The Facts.

[iv] An English colloquialism for ostracized or deemed persona non grata.

[v] For example, from Genesis 1:27-28, “. . . God created . . . male and female . . . and said . . . ’Be [faithful] and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.’” That is Jewish writing that has been appropriated by some 4,000 religious competitors. Many of them claim, “Our race is God’s chosen people.”

[vi] Emphasized phrases borrowed from Barbara Forrest, Baton Rouge Freethinkers, Main Library, December 14, 2016.

[vii] This problem was described, I think in irony to protect his life, by Nicolo Machiavelli in 1513, in The Prince, Chapter XI. See constitution.org/mac/prince11.htm , first paragraph . . . and more FYI. I paraphrase: theistic people may be controlled by the religion-government-partnership; the partnership is probably fascist and the people neither rebel nor leave. Only a dreamer would object to the situation.

[viii] A civic person denies slavery regardless of “scripture.” The independent thinker opposes ideas like the Christian quote, “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.” I Peter 2:18. This is not Jewish writing. I wondered what Islam says about slavery and did not like what I found about subjugating women: thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/slavery.aspx . This sheds new light on what Muslim men only want to tell me, “Phil, sooner or later you will submit to Allah. Beyond that, I do not care to discuss religion, but I admire your search.”

[ix] In this context, psychology is the intellectual response to reality, made possible by biology, another offspring of physics.

[x] Declaration of secession, online at avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_scarsec.asp . See concluding reference to religious belief.

[xi] Iterative-collaboration refers to improving a civic policy every time a factual injustice is discovered. In practice, a person speaks of an injustice and a well-grounded solution, say Change A. Civic listeners consider Change A so as to comprehend and relate to their experiences and observations. If necessary, listeners become speakers and propose modified Change B, with former speaker as listener. If necessary the process continues until all parties arrive at a change that comports to all needs. In other words, no one either compromises or subjugates to a dominant opinion. The mediator in the process is either the discovered facts or the change that seems to conform to the theory of interrelated facts.

[xii] It has to do with paying exorbitant portions of GDP for entertainment. Solving that problem is a dream.

[xiii] The Google definition of physics is “the branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy.” However, science is the process of discovery, and the object of discovery is physics, from which everything emerges, in my opinion. For example, imagination is inspired by absence of discovery respecting a perception. In the mirage experience, for example, there is perception but nothing to discover.

[xiv] For example, Santa Claus may be regarded a metaphor for the season of goodwill to all, and an understanding adult may answer the question, “Is Santa real,” affirmatively, without or without the goodwill explanation.

text .

[xvi] This is an issue in black theology: It purports political advantage for a group identified by skin-color rather than satisfaction of heartfelt concerns by the individual.

[xvii] HIV infection statistics online at theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_53df0406-6084-553c-baef-698becaa3ac9.html .

[xviii] Derek Thompson, “Denmark Isn’t Magic,” The Atlantic Monthly, August 2, 2016, online at http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/the-american-dream-isnt-alive-in-denmark/494141/ .

[xix] The latest tyranny against the people was Greece v. Galloway (2014), which deems niggling an atheists objections to listening to legislative prayer.

[xx] “Black theology,” online at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_theology and at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_church#Black_theology and npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88552254&ft=1&f=1001 .

[xxi] Understanding Sufism and its Potential Role in US policy. The World Organization for Resource Development and Education. Online at worde.org/publications/commentary/empowering_asj__sufi_muslim_networks/understanding-sufism-and-its-potential-role-in-u-s-policy/

[xxii] “Great Commission,” online at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Commission

[xxiii] See online at congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1150 . Signed into law on December 16, 2016.

[xxiv] List of founders of religious traditions, online at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_founders_of_religious_traditions .

[xxv] Religious landscape study, Louisiana adults, Pew Research, online pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/louisiana/ .

[xxvi] “Abuse of women by religions,” online at raphaelonline.com/womenreligion.htm

[xxvii] Sohrab Ahmari, "A Christian Answer to the Age of Terror," The Wall Street Journal, December 24-25, 2016, “Pope Francis hasn’t conceded an inch on the church’s pro-life stance.”

[xxviii] “Original sin,” online at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin

[xxix] “’Black Power’: Statement by National Committee of Negro Churchmen,” New York Times, July 31, 1966, signed by 51 ministers, online at episcopalarchives.org/Afro-Anglican_history/exhibit/pdf/blackpowerstatement.pdf

[xxx] “Spontaneous abortion,” Merck Manual, online at merckmanuals.com/professional/gynecology-and-obstetrics/abnormalities-of-pregnancy/spontaneous-abortion

Voluntary Civic People of Baton Rouge

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Open letter to Baton Rouge citizens

[xv] Protection of atheists and others such as people who are committed to TOT became law on December 16, 2016 when Republican-sponsored HR 1150 Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (IFRA) was signed by the President. See online at congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1150/text .

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