Rev. David Wilson Rogers

Among the many vital freedoms and rights afforded Americans in the United States Constitution is the Freedom of Religion, speech, assembly. It is, however, a freedom that many Christians fail to truly understand.

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

The United States cannot establish or singularly qualify any religion over another. Some Christians may argue that the Founding Fathers of this nation were predominantly Christian and that the so-called “Freedom of Religion” clause in the Constitution was presumed to fall under the broad umbrella of Christianity because of the presumption that the United States was essentially formed as a Christian nation.

Such assumptions, however, are dangerously wrong. Whether Christians like it or not, as Americans we must all realize that our cherished freedom to freely practice our Christian faith in the United States also comes with the freedom for others to not practice our Christian faith. The freedom cuts both ways so we must respect the fact that freedom of religion necessarily provides for freedom from religion.

More:As a Christian you should practice empathy

Often Christians find this reality difficult to accept based on the presumed exclusivity of Christ as Lord of all Creation. Within the history of the United States, this distinction has played out in very discriminatory ways as old laws essentially requiring a religious test for public office and mandates requiring anyone working in government or running for public office profess a Christian faith. It was a mandate intended to prevent non-Christians from having a voice in America. Yet, what it accomplished is the dual sin of violating the Constitution and turning Christianity into an unholy religion of ideological dominance and control.

The reality, whether Christians want to accept it or not, is that America is much stronger when we hold to the fundamental principles of our Constitution and promote a genuine diversity of religious and secular thought. Likewise, Christianity is stronger when we stop trying to use our religion to control others and live our faith as the loving expression of God’s grace for which Christ died.

There is no justification in Scripture calling for America to be a Theocratic state — one fundamentally rooted in exclusive religious doctrine and authority. When Christians seek to sinfully impose monolithic Christian standards on the nation, seek to exclude the beautiful diversity of religious voices in the national discourse, and insist on forcing the priority of Jesus Christ in all things, we fail to truly serve the One who so loved the whole world that he died to redeem the world.