Freedom

        The 4th of July will soon be upon us when we celebrate our nation's freedom. Our ancestors fought against England to preserve personal rights and freedoms. Freedom of religion was one of the many guarantees our people fought to create and preserve. Freedom of religion should still be something we fight to preserve in our country. If we try to legislate our personal beliefs or in other ways try to pressure others to accept our religious point of view, are we not eradicating the very freedom for which we fought? It is either freedom of religion for all or none. We cannot say you are free to practice your religion any way you want just as long as it agrees with mine. Freedom of religion is also freedom from religion. I am a Biblically based believer in Christianity--I am a Christian. However, I am aware that this is still is a very broad statement. They are those who can make the same statement from the far left to the far right of theology. I would love for our nation to have strong Christian ethics. With Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and some 33,000-40,000 other protestant denominations , whose standard should be used? We can teach and preach and share our faith to our heart's content, but when we try to manipulate the law of our nation through legislature and lawsuits to fit our particular brand of faith, we have stepped over the boundary. We become religious oppressors. We would like people to believe just like us, but that is unlikely to happen. We humans are very independent sorts. If we try to force people to believe like us, then we are taking away their religious freedom.
         God gave humanity free will. God gives us guidance on how to best live through scripture and through God's spiritual presence, accessed through prayer. However, God does not force God's will upon us. Perhaps that is a good role model for us as we continue to stand for freedom of religion as our ancestors did who helped shape this country. Happy 4th of July, Happy Day of Independence, Happy Freedom!  www.fcccarrollton.org