The Primacy of Religious Freedom

on January 31, 2014

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The primacy of religious freedom in the social order of free societies, historically acknowledged in America if not perfectly realized, is today under intense attack by secularist thinkers and their followers, whose true object is not state neutrality about religion, but the elimination in practice, and ultimately, in belief, of religious doctrines they object to. Unless traditional Christians and other supporters of the historic understanding vigorously and persuasively challenge the attempt to subordinate religious freedom to government policy, it will come to be accepted by increasingly large parts of the population. The hostility that already exists to real religious freedom that can withstand legal assault will become entrenched, making eventual recovery of religious freedom that much more difficult. This will threaten the life of those religious groups whose beliefs are disfavored.

Law and morality really address the same question: what should we do? The claim of religious freedom is really the claim of a supernatural authority which transcends the human authority under which a person finds himself. No state can ever formally concede that its laws may ever be disobeyed, and yet everyone (hopefully) concedes that there may be moral imperatives that contradict the law of the state. Where a supernatural authority is claimed for those moral imperatives, there is a claim for religious freedom.

If Christians and other similarly committed traditional religious believers are to function in society, their consciences must be accommodated. If they are not accommodated, they cannot function in any area of their lives to the extent that they are not accommodated. Those who do compromise will ultimately be absorbed into the secular society. Those who do not must live as a subculture, but a subculture that can contribute much to the wider society, and should be allowed to do so despite the offense given to those who object to Christian faith and morality. But this is not only practical, it is also right.

Read more at RealClearReligion, where this article originally appeared

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