“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”
These words written into the Constitution of the United States guarantee our freedom to practice the religion that we choose, and prevents laws from being passed that restrict that freedom. But what about when this freedom pivots away from its original intent? What about when this freedom is used to discriminate and hate? What about when this freedom is used to violate other freedoms?
"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."
This quote stated by Thomas Jefferson is where we see the first time the phrase “separation between church and state” used. This statement is often interpreted to mean that the government has no place in religion. But what about the other way around? Religion has no place in government?
But how can religion have no place in government? One might say religion is good and pure, or that our government and those we elect should be religious people, because religion equals moral and good. The hard truth is that no, it doesn’t. In fact, when it comes to government, religion does not mix. The hard truth is that government policies are not religious policies, and our system of lawmaking is not a plaything by which someone can use to reflect their idea of religion on all citizens.
Religion comes with prejudices that can be used, and have been used, to restrict the rights and freedoms of others. Another hard truth (for some people), human rights are universal. They do not have limitations, nor do they stop at the door of a place of worship or anywhere else. Some of our founding fathers were descendants of those that experienced first hand the kind of restricting laws that were justified by religion. They knew the danger, and purposefully protected us from it.
Freedom of religion does not mean you have the freedom to deny rights to those that have been guaranteed them just as you have. It does not mean you can dodge your lawful obligations by claiming religion. Freedom of religion does not mean that you have the freedom to force others to believe how you do,
