Has Religious Freedom Weakened America?

This past autumn a Washington, D.C.-based think tank dedicated to applying the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to critical issues of public policy posed the question, “Has religious freedom weakened America?”

Hosted by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, the debate between First Things Editor Rusty Reno and Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity President and co-founder Avik Roy was last in a series titled the “Crossroads of Conservatism.”

Reno, a past professor of theology and ethics, argued Christianity must be central. Roy defended religious pluralism and toleration which, he maintained, strengthen Christianity.

Additionally, while Reno attributed the social problems of our day—including declining work ethic, the destruction of the family, and the rise of single parent families—to a weakening Christianity alongside growing secularism, Roy attributed them to technological changes, a shift towards Keynesian economics, and secularization forced by the courts.

Reno’s thesis hinged on the necessity of a unified Christian consensus.

“Lack of strong religious consensus gives rise to a weak civic culture unable to unify citizens, which in turn produces a polarized, fractious politics,” the First Things editor diagnosed.

Turning to America’s founding, Reno noted George Washington’s Farewell Address, as well as the overall sentiments of the founders, holds that classical liberalism rests on religious foundations. Specifically, the religious foundation is Christianity. Quoting French political philosopher Alexis DeTocqueville’s concept that invoking the divine laws leads to liberty, Reno argued that weakening the predominance and influence of Christianity diminishes the genius of America.

In rebuttal, Roy argued that America only emerged from World War II as a superpower because of its religious pluralism and toleration. As immigrants to a religiously tolerant America, Edward Teller and Albert Einstein were adult Jewish refugees critical to the development of the atomic bomb. If Germany had developed an atomic weapon first, history would be much different, America would be much weaker, and millions more lives would have been lost.

“The United States’s embrace of religious diversity has literally changed the course of history,” Roy claimed.

Roy closed his opening speech with a passage, written by his opponent Reno, reminding the audience of the atrocities throughout history in persecuting Jews. Judaism remains even as the Roman Empire that sacked Jerusalem, the Third Reich responsible for the Holocaust, the European monarchies that forced Jews into Poland, and all other past nations and ideologies that have persecuted Jewish people are dust.

Persecuting singular religious groups, Roy insisted, leads to serious evil while, ironically, the religious groups are the only ones that truly survive.

Reno named secularism and declining Christianity as causes of modern social problems. Citing Lebanon and India, the First Things editor argued that religious diversity often leads to conflict which discredits religion, leads to secularism, and undermines the foundations of society. Additionally, Reno argues from personal experience that diversity is a challenge rather than an asset. He explained the danger he faces of raising religiously lukewarm children since his wife is Jewish and he is Protestant. He argued that persons of faith who believe in the truth of their religion can be tolerant and accepting of other views, but cannot pretend their diversity or views are a good thing.

“Those of us who take the Christian faith seriously have the most to gain from religious freedom, and in particular from building a political coalition that appeals to Americans of all faiths who share our values,” Reno contrasted. Citing Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith, Roy argued religion is strengthened by competition. The Church’s witness and depth is far more robust where competition requires it to persuade.

Additionally, Roy cited a lack of empirical evidence demonstrating that religious diversity has led to the polarizing social issues today. He argued that Reno’s position lacks sufficient support especially since it results in disenfranchising peoples via the state if they do not agree with the majority’s or Reno’s definition of “right religion.”

Instead, Roy charged that economic policies that created the welfare state contributed to a rise in single-parent families. Although well-intentioned with the hope of alleviating harsh economic realities for children out of wedlock, government intervention created more of the very situation it intended to fix. Additionally, a pivot to Keynesian economics that prioritizes consumption above all has eroded a future oriented society.

Regardless of opinion on the consequences, Roy argued that technology has changed women’s role in society. While contraception receives the most attention, technology that eliminates time consuming household chores, such as the dishwasher and laundry machine, have enabled women to enter the workforce. Roy pointed towards empirical causes for today’s polarization rather than simply a turn toward secularism.

Yet, Roy did not dispute that secularization has created social issues with the courts misinterpreting the first amendment to constrain religious freedom. While Roy offers empirical causes for our polarizing issues, perhaps the secularism denounced by Reno plays a role within the causes. Though the two disagreed whether Christianity or any religion should take precedence, neither questioned Christianity’s overwhelming positive effects, and neither debated whether our nation derives at least some greatness from its religious foundation.