“Let us serve instead of rule, knock instead of push at the door of human hearts, and allow to each and every one the same rights and privileges that we claim for ourselves.”
– Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings, p. 303.
From a Facebook dialogue –
Ray – I have great respect for all you sacrificed for our country and for that I will ‘like’ your comment regarding your sacrifice. Thank you for sharing your feelings about our flag and anthem. I understand your feelings, and believe you should have the right to stand for the anthem – just as I understand the feelings of those who choose not to stand for the anthem, and believe they should be allowed to practice their rights, also. God bless America. God bless our Constitution. God bless those who stand, and those who kneel. God bless the whole world – no exceptions.
Here’s where I am with it: How does it help anyone – how does it help our country – if we force other people to stand against their own conscience and pretend to feel and believe what we want them to feel and believe? If all these players who were kneeling now stand for the anthem because we force them to stand – how does this fix anything or make anything better? Would that really make you happy – knowing people were doing something against their own will and integrity? Are we really honoring veterans like my dad – who served in the South Pacific in WWII – by denying our citizens the freedoms they’re given in the Constitution of our country? No, I think we honor our veterans by using the freedoms they risked their lives to protect. And that includes using our First Amendment rights.
– Karen
“…you have the rights of conscience, as we all have, and must follow God in all your ways.”
– Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings, p 236.
“Unconstitutional and unjust coercive legislation and laws, infringing individual rights, must be ‘of few days, and full of trouble.'”
– Mary Baker Eddy, Miscellaneous Writings, p. 80.
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 
Amen to this. A man forced against his will is of the same opinion still. I really dislike how media first pushed that the people who kneel are disrespecting other men and women. No they are not. I do not see that at all, but now all the watchful parrots chirp that same message. And now the media is bringing up these player’s immoral pasts as dirty laundry weapons… Its disgusting , this media machine. It is molding opinions constantly to its diabolical agenda. And then for the president to declare for these people to be fired.. This country is enslaved by the media. The people in this country have become hypnotized and maddened.
Let’s stay alert and aware. Keeping standing (or kneeling) for our rights. We’re all in this together, ain’t we?
You put into words what I wanted to articulate, but couldn’t quite do it. Thank you, thank you.
Thank YOU, Cindy!