West (by God) Virginia: Almost Heaven!

My husband is from West (By God) Virginia and most of his siblings and their families still live there. Larry graduated from the University of West Virginia in Morgantown with a degree in Electronics Engineering. He had a wonderful beginning there in the mountain state and how this Navy brat enjoyed the introduction to that wonderful state! 

When Larry's parents were alive we went back often and always delighted in visiting all the relatives with their children. We don't get back as often now. When the patriarchal generation dies, it diminishes the magnet drawing you back. Your generation becomes the patriarchal generation with focus on your own family combined with all the challenges of aging. But that doesn't diminish the love and respect for the "fatherland." Larry's Dad dance at our daughters' weddings was -- guess what -- Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Since we moved to Woodstock, we live close to the West Virginia border and make it a point to visit on our wandering days. There's a great little restaurant in Wardensville that has a turkey dinner every Sunday!

We also keep track of what's going on in the state. I was gratified today to read this headline:

West Virginia Passes Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Here's a bit from the article:

Having already passed the state’s House of Delegates on Monday, the bill has only to be signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice to become law.

The bill guarantees West Virginians’ freedom from any state interference that may “substantially burden a person’s right to exercise of religion.”

West Virginia’s bill is one of now 24 similar laws passed by states across the nation. The act is modeled after the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that was passed in 1993 but then deemed unconstitutional in application to states by a federal court in 1997.

According to Becket, a religious-liberty law firm, state RFRAs “level the playing field in court for people of deeply held religious convictions.”....

The West Virginia Republican Party celebrated the bill’s passage with party chairwoman Elgine McArdle saying in a Tuesday email to supporters: “The Secular Left has weaponized the government against men and women of faith all over the country, whether it is forcing them to bake cakes for weddings which they do not want to participate, or for prosecuting Catholics who pray outside of abortion clinics. I am proud that the elected leadership in West Virginia stood up for our rights and defended our core values.”

In view of the recent evidence that the administration has weaponized the FBI against traditional Catholics, it's obvious that this legislation is crucial. It won't stop the anti-Christian bigots, but it may slow them down a bit. 

Yes, indeed, West Virginia is "almost heaven!"

Here are the states that have enacted versions of RFRA:

• Alabama (state constitution amendment)^[33]
• Arizona^[34]
• Arkansas^[30][35]
• Connecticut^[34]
• Florida^[34]
• Idaho^[34]
• Illinois^[34]
• Indiana^{[36][37][38][39][40][41]}
• Kansas^[34]
• Kentucky^[42]
• Louisiana^[34]
• Mississippi^[43][44][45]
• Missouri^[34]
• Montana
• New Mexico^[34]
• Oklahoma^[34]
• Pennsylvania^[34]
• Rhode Island^[34]
• South Carolina^[34]
• South Dakota ^[46]
• Tennessee^[34]
• Texas^[34]
• Virginia^[34]