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Understanding Religious Liberty
Religious liberty is the very first right protected in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, so it’s clear that this was a vitally important issue to our nation’s founders—especially in historical context. However, this foundational right has undergone numerous challenges in recent years, with opponents of religious liberty trying to elevate other classifiers like race or gender identity above the foundational right to freedom of religious expression. Understanding the issue of religious liberty—and where the candidates on your ballot align—is essential to voting wisely.
Where does the Bible stand?
Jesus taught that we should “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). The Old Testament also makes clear that the things of God take precedence when in conflict. Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den when he would not pray to his earthly royal master, Darius the Mede. Exodus 20 makes clear that we should have no other gods before our God. Therefore, “rendering unto Caesar” does not mean government should ban crosses, the Ten Commandments, prayers, or religious speech from the public square.
Government is ordained of God (Romans 13:1-7), but government cannot become God. We can see the sad history of governments (Soviet Russia, Communist China) that have taken away religious freedom. We can also see the injustice of governments (Muslim world) that extend religious liberty to one group but deny it to others.
The Bible teaches the concept of the “freedom of religion” in many passages. Jesus did not force His beliefs on others. The rich young ruler walks away grieving (Matthew 19:16-23) because he chose not to follow Jesus. Later, Jesus expresses His lament that the people of Jerusalem were not willing to follow Him (Matthew 23:37).
Religious liberty is also rooted in that fact that we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and thus have been given the ability to make moral choices. We are free to choose God or other religions or reject them all.
We don’t want a government that demands religious devotion, nor do we want a government that persecutes religious activity. We want a government that will accommodate religion and allow us to practice what we believe: that the Holy Spirit (not the government) changes hearts (John 6:63) and that we are born again and are saved by grace (John 3:5-7) (Ephesians 2:8-9).
"They said, 'Caesar's.' Then he said to them, 'Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'" (Matthew 22:21 ESV).
Where do the parties stand?
REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM
- "Republicans will champion the First Amendment Right to Pray and Read the Bible in school, and stand up to those who violate the Religious Freedoms of American students." (pg. 18)
- "Republicans will promote a Culture that values the Sanctity of Marriage, the blessings of childhood, the foundational role of families, and supports working parents." (pg. 18)
- "We are the defenders of the First Amendment Right to Religious Liberty. To protect Religious Liberty, Republicans support a new Federal Task Force on Fighting Anti-Christian Bias that will investigate all forms of illegal discrimination, harassment, and persecution against Christians in America." (pg. 20)
- "We will keep men out of women’s sports, ban Taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop Taxpayer-funded Schools from promoting gender transition, reverse Biden’s radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations, and restore protections for women and girls." (pg. 21)
DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM
- "LGBTQI+ Americans continue to inspire and bring hope to all people seeking a life true to who they are, and to enrich every aspect of American life. . . the LGBTQI+ community continues to face attacks and bigotry in states across the country. Democrats are committed to defending LGBTQI+ rights." (pg 56)
- "Democrats will pass the Equality Act to codify protections for LGBTQI+ Americans and their families. We will prohibit employment discrimination in the federal government, including contractors, and make federally-funded seniors programs LGBTQI+ inclusive." (pg. 56)
- "…We have and will continue to make great strides in protecting LGBTQI+ children and prospective parents in the adoption and foster care systems." (pg 56)
- “… Democrats will protect the First Amendment right to free exercise of religion for everyone, and we will maintain the separation of church and state. …We will advocate for religious freedom across the world. And we will continue to honor both religious freedom and other civil rights, not put them at war with one another.” (pg. 61-62)
Where do the candidates stand?
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