One of the founding principles of United States is freedom to practice religion without persecution.
When the colonies were established, separating Puritans left England in order to fully “purify” the Church of England from all Roman Catholic influences. However, Puritans were not the only religious group in the colonies, and this proved problematic. In 1660, Mary Dyer, a Quaker, was hanged in Boston for disobeying Puritan doctrine. In reaction, a series of laws were passed protecting religious freedom. By the time the Bill of Rights was penned, peoples of different religious sects were allowed to practice different religions free from persecution.
Religious freedom is a distinguishing point between historical theocracies and a modern, democratic government. Allowing people to share and practice differing views is the foundation of democracy, therefore a foundation of our country.
That being said, there is a tactic currently being employed in the United States that I believe to be dangerous, manipulative, and false. It has to do with the deliberate misinterpretation of the concept of religious freedom.
Our society has become increasingly secular. According to the New York Times, the number of adults unaffiliated with a religion has gone up 7% since 2007. The number of Christians in the country has fallen 7.8%. If Christians become a religious minority, some fear the impact that may have on society.
The impact of a falling Christian population should not have bearing on government. With separation of church and state, a Christian majority should not affect the rights of Christians or anyone else. In practice, this is less true; regulations on birth control demonstrate how a Christian majority affects legislation. With the shrinking Christian population, certain fearful people defend their religious rights as if the population reflects in any way the validity of their worship.
That religion is supposed to be separate from government has not stopped fear-inducing rhetoric from creeping into politics. Kim Davis is a Kentucky clerk jailed for not awarding homosexual couples marriage licenses, despite swearing an oath to uphold the law. In June 2015, the Supreme Court ruled it unlawful to deny marriage to anyone based on gender.
On September 3, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee visited Davis in jail. “Having Kim Davis in federal custody removes all doubt of the criminalization of Christianity in our country,” he said. “We must defend religious liberty.”
His statement suggests that Davis is being persecuted for her beliefs. If that were the case, Huckabee and others would be in the right calling for the defense of religious freedom. However, that is not what is happening. Ms. Davis had the right not to perform gay marriages if she found it morally wrong to do so. All she had to do was resign from her job.
Religious freedom works both ways. While no one can be persecuted for practicing religion, so it stands that no one can be persecuted for not adhering to religious beliefs. Recall how the first US laws of religious freedom were in reaction to a woman hanged for conflicting with Puritanism. That's freedom from religion one does not subscribe to.
By threatening the end of religious freedom, politicians are fanning the flames of alarm in the hearts of populations who may already be fearful. Christians have as much right to practice their religion as ever, in private. What has changed is that Christian principles have begun to ebb away from their place in the laws of the country. In fact, this is a victory for religious freedom: the stronger the separation of church and state, the more freedom to practice religion without persecution. For when the law aligns with one religion, it naturally alienates others.
Politicians are emboldening the fear already in the hearts of some. Fear has been used as a tool to create enemies and gain political power before. When rhetoric is employed to frighten constituents, history should remind us how dangerous this is. The results have been some of the worst atrocities in human history, and the foulest violation of human rights.
