I see where the leadership of Iran, in response to all the protests by the young people, have announced they are abolishing the “Morality Police”. Those are the forces who roam the streets looking to punish those who are not living up to the Islamic rules, particularly the dress laws. I’m not sure which of the dress codes that Iran enforces, but I’m certain that most young people there, despite laws against it, are very aware how the rest of the world dresses and more importantly thinks, and they are just tired of being treated as second class, or worse, property.

I’m not sure if I understand the difference between theocracies and autocracies, but I know they both put strangleholds on their citizens in what they do and think. Many autocracies likely start out as theocracies and then become the latter because the “supreme leader”, or whatever his title is, decides to stay in power beyond his time.

I wonder if what is happening now in Iran is that slippery slope that so many who are theocratic so often fear? When they can no longer arrest women who don’t wear the correct garb to cover their bodies, will other religious things get disregarded?

Millions of Iranian women and men are summoning almost death defying courage to protest against moral codes. Protesters are chanting “Death to Khamenei” in 220 Iranian cities, with hundreds sacrificing their lives in bloody battles with police. This revolution is about freedom of choice. The passionate uprisings in Iran and China, as well as Ukrainians’ fierce resistance against Russia’s genocidal invasion, should remind us of the fragility of America’s freedoms.

Our founding ideals, tarnished and dented as they might be, still serve as guideposts to oppressed peoples around the globe. The January 6 insurrection showed we cannot take self-rule and fundamental rights for granted. Demagogues are always waiting in the wings. The struggle for freedom never ends.

I kinda think that the MAGA crowd is made up of similar folks as Iran when it comes to religious things. They think that everyone should be forced to believe what they do. If you don’t, then get out of “their” country. The trouble with this is that there are currently about 40,000 different versions of Christianity around today. That tells me that becoming a Christian nation is literally impossible.

I want to close out this post with a quote from one of my favorite bloggers, Stephen Mattson. He reminds us of the Christian gatekeepers who try to enforce “their” rules about Jesus.

At least my version of God does…