Religious Freedom is a Constitutional Protection

One cannot live in peace to exercise one’s God-given right to religious freedom unless those with differing views, whether through laws or force, are restrained from oppressing those exercising their rights. Inherent in some religions are teachings that guide their adherents to exercise self-restraint, to respect others, and live peaceably.

Those who adhere to these religions do not interfere with the belief system of others unless those systems cause the adherents to impinge on the freedoms and rights of others. By contrast, those whose belief systems, whether religious based or not, cause their adherents to impinge, suppress, or oppress the freedom of religion of others must be restrained themselves by law or force as their belief system does not provide the inner motivation to conduct themselves accordingly.

Were it not for the authors of the Constitution of the United States, of a Judeo/Christian heritage, who sought to create laws supporting the foundation of religious freedom, oppressors likely would have risen up through the first 250 years of statehood. One can note that an increasing disregard for the Constitutional protections provided by our Founders has led to outright religious discrimination by some congressional members. This is especially troubling since it is their sworn duty to support the rights of citizens and all who fall under the designated jurisdiction.

Congress: Failure to Set the Standard

The nation’s leaders should be held to the highest standard. If they are not constrained to obey constitutionally based directives and statutory law, it is unlikely those across the nation who are prone to anti-social behavior and those who adhere to religious tenets diametrically opposed to the rights of religious freedom will adhere to laws or respect the rights of others.

There was a valid foundation for the presumption of the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 that “unassimilated aliens could threaten the foundation of American life.” Those who have come to the United States solely for economic advantage and have refused to embrace the constitutional precepts that have brought to fruition the economic, scholarly, scientific, and all other benefits directly related to that foundation detract and destroy from within. The goal is to have lawful immigrants who will make contributions to improve our society.

Those who demand the respect and benefits that the Constitution and statutory law affords yet seek to deny others those same rights have no place in constitutionally protected life.

Saving the Internationally Persecuted

Participants from the international community converged during the 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom to seek solutions to bring lasting change to those who are persecuted and suffer religious oppression in societies across the globe. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo noted, “The protection of religious freedom is central to the Trump administration’s foreign policy, and protecting this human right is an essential part of who we are as Americans.”

President Trump, during the recent attacks on the Jewish community, has said he would fight the “evil scourge of Antisemitism.” But how can we, as Americans, hold the standard of protection, of freedoms of those in oppressed nations if we allow those who are opposed to those very freedoms infiltrate our government and destroy the Constitution and laws to provide for the protections of those freedoms?

“Our Very Own Freedoms are Under Attack”

Our very own freedoms are under attack both internally and externally. A nation failing to support the rights of law abiding citizens and turning a blind eye to the crimes of the unlawful shall not be able to sustain support of other oppressed peoples as it rots within from the canker of its own corruption.

Let’s clean up our own government, restore constitutional protections for religious liberty in every city and state and root out those who loathe our founding principles. Only then will we stand as an example to the nations.