In many places in the world, people have to be careful about what they say, and to whom they say it, especially when talking about their government. In general, people who live in most Western nations do not have this fear. We have the right to publically state our opinion about what others are doing, and even disagree with the direction our government is taking.

This is a wonderful and amazing freedom, as people in power do not usually like to see dissent from those who have less power.

Certainly, there are some areas where the freedom of speech is restricted, such as shouting “fire” in a movie theater, talking about bombs on an airplane, and all forms of hate speech against people of other races or religions. But beyond this, the freedom of speech is a valuable right that we enjoy, and which, at least in the United States, is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

But just as with all the other rights in the Constitution, this one also can be abused, especially when divorced from godly values and perspectives. When people lose their respect for others, and stop believing that all people have basic human dignity and value, the freedom of speech can become a curse.

[Read more…]

We can thank God that we live in a country where we have the freedom of religion, but we must be careful how we go about trying to maintain it.

Depending on the government for our religion freedom is counterproductive, and leads people to believe that freedom of religion is based on the other freedom which the governments grants, such as the freedom to collect tax-free tithes, the freedom to assemble, and the freedom of free speech.

But such things are not necessary for following Jesus, and depending on such things may actually lead us away from the values of Jesus and the Kingdom of God.

Stanley Hauerwas put it this way:

…The question is not whether the church has the freedom to preach the gospel in America, but whether the church in America preaches the gospel as truth. The question is not whether we have freedom of religion and a corresponding limited state in America, but whether we have a church that has a people capable of saying no to the state. No state, particularly a democratic state, is kept limited by constitutions, but rather states are limited by people with the imagination and courage to challenge the inveterate temptation of the state to ask us to compromise our loyalty to God.

In other words, by looking to the state to affirm our right to practice religion, we have sacrificed our ability to be the voice of conscience to the state. Depending on the government for our freedom of religion has made us a government chaplain in the pay of the state, afraid of losing our jobs if we offend our employer.

[Read more…]

The way Christianity is most often practiced in the United States (and other Western countries) today, we need the permission of the governments to continue practicing in such a way.

We depend on zoning laws for our buildings and parking lots. We depend on tax-exemptions to make our mortgage payments. We depend on 501(c)3 tax-exempt charitable donations to receive our income.

If the government stepped in and did away with just these three things, but did not make Christianity illegal, I fear that most Christian churches would fold. Western Christianity depends upon such things for survival, which means that we depend upon our government for survival.

[Read more…]

From a practical standpoint, a case can be made against the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state.

Christianity Thrives where Christianity is Illegal

If one looks throughout the world and throughout history, the places and eras where Christianity is the most vibrant, faithful, effective, and Spirit-led, are the places where Christianity is illegal.

It seems that when governments put their stamp of approval on Christianity as a religion, or when governments step back and allow people to worship as they see fit, it is then that Christian vibrancy and faithfulness suffers.

Christianity Dies where Christianity Rules

But worse yet is when Christianity becomes the state religion. Some of the bloodiest and cruelest eras in history have been when Christianity gained the power of the state and became the official religion of the government. The crimes that are committed in the name of Christ by “Christian governments” are some of the worst the world has ever seen.

[Read more…]

I am glad that I live in a country that offers the freedom of religion. It would not be pleasant to live where I would be fearful for my life and liberty simply for owning a Bible or gathering with other believers to pray and worship God. Living in a country where we have the freedom to believe what we want about God and worship God as we see fit is a great privilege and a great benefit.

But is the freedom of religion a guaranteed right? The first amendment to the constitution contains these words: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Since this amendment is part of what is known as “The Bill of Rights” many people believe that the freedom of religion is a “right.” We demand this right, fight for this right, and sue other people and organizations whom we feel infringe upon this right.

The Separation of Church and State

I am not a constitutional scholar, but let us consider the idea of the “freedom of religion” from several angles. First, let us look at the freedom of religion from a historical and political perspective. The section of the First Amendment to the Constitution which deals with religion is known as “The Establishment Clause.” It says that congress will make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Politicians, theologians, judges, and constitutional lawyers have debated for centuries what exactly this means, but it is from this statement that people get the idea about “the separation of church and state.”

The Separation of Church and State is Not in the Constitution

Strictly speaking, the idea of “the separation of church and state” is not in the constitution. Most people think it is, but the constitution says nothing of the sort. It simply has the Establishment Clause, which is interpreted in various ways, one of them being “the separation of church and state,” which in turn is sufficiently ambiguous to be applied in numerous different fashions.

[Read more…]