Why Freedom of Religion?
Dr. David Curry, Open Doors USA
September 17, 2013
Christianity.com
There’s a growing undercurrent of political word-smiting regarding freedom to be a Jesus follower in the culture today. It’s a movement to narrow and marginalize people of faith who have opinions, want to be heard and who want to participate in the debate that is at the intersection of culture, politics and faith.
Those attuned to the habit of political groups adopting talking points to help reframe our understanding of particular issues will notice that politicos are actively affirming our “right to worship” freely rather than the “freedom of religion.” The biographer/apologist/thinker Eric Metaxas addressed this very topic here.
The “right to worship” argument essentially seeks to give people the freedom to preach, commune and practice in whatever way they choose, so long as it doesn’t cross a boundary into culture and politics. The reasoning goes something like this: “You have beliefs and that’s okay, but it’s not okay to bring those beliefs into the national discussion.” It’s a tangent of the tolerance debate, wherein moral discussions are dismissed as intolerant, and people of faith are marginalized and stamped with a large “WACKO!” on their head.
