Freedom to Worship

Background Passages: John 8:31-32; Mark 12:28-31; Romans 10:13-14

The words of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights ought to inspire anyone with a pulse and a sense of history. Yet, we take these hallowed documents for granted, too often trying to bend them to match a personal perspective never envisioned by our country’s founders.

When you see the originals, written by hand on parchment and preserved behind glass in the rotunda of The National Archives, the effect is sobering. The dim, protective light made it difficult to read the 241-year-old words. Having to concentrate on the faded script only added to the power of the words written by men like Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and James Madison.

Every phrase I read spoke volumes, but one phrase kept coming to mind for hours afterward. On the original Bill of Rights, it is listed as the third amendment to the U. S. Constitution, the first two being rejected by Congress. That amendment, which subsequently became the First Amendment, said,

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Any mention of religious freedom was left out of the original Constitution because most of the states had some form of state-supported religion…Maryland, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia sanctioned the Anglican/Church of England. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire sponsored the Puritan or Congregational Church.

James Madison of Virginia, largely credited for writing much of the Constitution, led the charge to get the document ratified in his home state. He met serious opposition from Baptist pastor, John Leland, a determined advocate for freedom of religion and freedom of speech.

Madison campaigned to be elected as a delegate to Virginia’s convention to ratify the constitution. He vocally opposed any early amendments, fearing it would derail ratification. Leland pushed back, opposing ratification without an amendment guaranteeing basic freedoms.

Recognizing Leland probably had enough votes to defeat him, Madison agreed to introduce the Bill of Rights once the constitution was ratified if Leland would not run against him. Both men honored their agreement. Madison introduced the Bill of Rights on May 4, 1789, which was ratified by the states two years later.

The idea of religious liberty is still unique in the world. The Baptist Joint Committee on Religious Liberty (BJC) says that religious liberty is the “freedom to believe and exercise or act upon religious conscience without unnecessary interference by the government.” The idea gives one the freedom to practice or not practice religion of any kind.

Religious freedom is not without boundary. Some religions involve beliefs that conflict with other laws. In those cases, the courts must decide how to accommodate sincere religious beliefs while protecting the people’s interests, including shielding those who may not share the same religious beliefs.

The BJC puts it simply. “Do not ask government to promote your religion if you don’t want government to promote someone else’s religion; and do not permit government to hinder somebody else’s religion if you don’t want government to hinder your own religion.”

Leland wrote in the 18th century, “Government should protect every man in thinking and speaking freely and see that one does not abuse another. This liberty I contend is for more that toleration. The very idea of toleration is despicable. It supposes that some have a preeminence above the rest to grant indulgence, whereas all should be equally free. Jews. Turks. Pagans and Christians.”

There is growing evidence of intolerance in government laws and regulations toward the Christian faith that seem to “prohibit the free exercise” of religion. Leland and Madison, I believe, would argue against such intrusions. They would also argue against Christian leaders’ insistence of greater government support for the Christian faith.

Staring at the original Bill of Rights in its case on display in Washington, D.C., served as a great reminder of the original intent of the First Amendment. As much as I might believe the world would be a better place if we all lived as my Christian faith says we must live, I cannot insist that the government must push my beliefs on every citizen. As it concerns religion, government must remain neutral. It’s a fine line, I admit.

For me, then, my Christian imperative is far less political than spiritual.

Neither political nor moral law provides a path to salvation in Christ. Neither political nor moral law is a path to service in Christ. Calling ourselves a Christian nation doesn’t bring a single soul to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The free exercise of our faith on a political level without demonstrating the love of Christ daily with those we meet is meaningless. It is not government’s responsibility to “make disciples of all nations.” It is my responsibility. It is the role of the church.

As the Pharisees claimed a political and moral superiority over Christ, he offered one of the most profound statements in response. He said,

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

The truth is that Jesus came to free us from the eternal consequences of sin. To give us a path to everlasting life offered as a grace gift of God. That’s not political. It’s personal. God gave his son on a cross not that we might have a Christian prayer in schools or the right to post a copy of the Ten Commandments in a courthouse, but that we might experience life as God intended it to be lived. And that we might love and serve others in such a way as to draw them into a right relationship with Christ…to set them free as we are free.

I just get a feeling Jesus would be less worried about the political realities than he would these spiritual truths. The Pharisees were stuck in the law to exclusion of everything else. When a few of them came to Jesus to question him about paying taxes to Caesar and about their own internal arguments about religious matters, he tried to help them through their confusion. Finally, one asked him to name the paramount law or commandment.

Jesus kept it simple.

“The most important one is this: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Nothing in the current political realm can keep us from having a relationship with Christ. Nothing in this political climate keeps us from loving others and finding ways to meet their needs. That’s what was ultimately important to Jesus. It ought to be what is important to me.

I don’t need government to restrict the faith traditions of others in order to advance the Christian faith. I must use my freedom as an American and my freedom in Christ to convince others of their need for him…revealing to them his love for everyone…by living the life God intended me to live…by meeting the needs of all I encounter.

I’m grateful to live in a nation, under the protection of the Bill of Rights, that guarantees our right to worship or not worship as we please.

I am more grateful to live in relationship with Christ, under the eternal protection of God, that enables me to share his grace with those who might not believe as I do. To serve others in such a way as to draw them to Christ.

Our only hope of being a Christian nation comes when those of us who claim the name of Christ share his love by word and example in such a way as to convince one person, then another, and then another, to freely accept the grace gift of God.

“For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them.”

We will never be a Christian nation by law. We will become a Christian nation when hearts are changed and people embrace the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus Christ as savior.

It seems to me that’s religious freedom as God meant it to be.