From a historical perspective, there is a close connection between Thanksgiving and religious freedom. As nearly every American knows, the main reason for the Pilgrims' decision to emigrate to the New World was their desire to worship God as they thought appropriate. In their homeland England, there was essentially no religious freedom--everyone was required to conform to the doctrines of the Church of England. Only in distant America could the Pilgrims hope to practice their faith without fear.
However, although for many years Americans have enjoyed a high degree of religious freedom, recent events suggest that that freedom can no longer be taken for granted. The push to grant legal recognition to same-sex "marriages" has led to an increasingly intolerant attitude toward those who object to this legal innovation on religious grounds. There have even been cases in which business owners have been told either to accommodate same-sex couples--though this would violate their consciences--or risk the imposition of legal penalties. It seems that the advocates of same-sex "marriage" would be willing to sacrifice our long tradition of religious liberty in order to achieve their goals. So, on this Thanksgiving, perhaps we need to remind ourselves of the reason why the Pilgrims came, and to ask ourselves whether we are keeping faith (pun intended) with them.
Image of William Formsby Halsall's painting "Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor" from joyfulheart.com