liberty – Daniel Tomberlin

Religious freedom is an inalienable human right granted by God in creation (Genesis 2). Religious freedom is an expression of free will. In the Garden of Eden, God granted to the first humans the freedom of choice – the choice to believe, the choice to be obedient, and the choice to rebel. The Apostle Paul affirmed that all humans, Jew and Gentile, have a religious conscience that prompts an intuitive search for God (Romans 2:15; Acts 17:24-28). Because religious freedom is granted by God, this is a freedom that is not derived from the state and should not be suppressed by the state. In fact, government derives it authority from God and exists to promote the flourishing of human civilization. Therefore, the proper role of government should be to protect the free expression of religion throughout its domain (Romans 13:1ff). The temptation for government is to deify itself, thereby suppressing religious freedoms (but that is a topic for a future blog).

Continue reading “Religious Freedom is Essential to the Mission of Christ”

Two years ago I wrote that I feared the end of religious freedom in the United States. My fears remain unabated. I am growing increasingly concerned about religious intolerance in our nation. The Bill of Rights guarantees citizens of the United States of America the right to freedoms of speech, assembly, and free exercise of religion. The free exercise of religion is inextricably bound to the freedoms of speech and assembly. Religious faith cannot be adequately expressed without the freedoms to assembly together and speak. The federal government is charged with protecting these basic and essential human rights. It is becoming apparent that there is a political movement afoot with the intent on limiting religious speech and expression to the domain of private devotion. Much of this is due to the religious community’s opposition to abortion and the homosexual agenda to redefine marriage. Opposition to abortion or homosexual marriage is being defined as hate speech. Religious speech or expression that challenges the agenda of the government is being suppressed.

Continue reading “The Rise of Religious Intolerance in the United States”