Why is it important that we stand up for religious liberty today? In one word, Islam. Islam is one of those realities that you need to look into yourself. Do not take anyone else’s word for what Islam is, even mine. Get a Koran and read it yourself. If you are not a reader, you have my sympathy but do not accept the carefully chosen “sound bites” that are given to you by the media. Islam is like Christianity in that it is given a charge to convert the entire world. The difference that effects our lives is that the Bible never gives Christians the commission to use force or coercion. The Koran does. If you read it you will also find that it condones lies if they advance the cause.
America and Americans are willing to grant Muslims religious liberty. That is no problem. The problem comes when you realize that their religion, if they truly believe it, demands that they bring you to your knees in submission. It can be the submission of conversion. It can be the submission of servitude or slavery which they call “dhimmi”. When you research it and see it means “protected person” then understand the jargon. Slaves in the south were protected people also. People locked into rubber rooms and straight jackets are protected also. The final classification of submission is death, the ultimate peace.
We have home-grown religious groups that are determined to convert everyone. I immediately think of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. They are very aggressive in presenting their beliefs but last time I heard Mormon missionary teams were not armed. There are religions rooted in other countries that suppress those who differ but they are not set on conquering the world and forcing it into one mold with violence and suppression. I have not heard of Buddhist suicide bombers trying to take down American democracy. Maybe that is because I don’t read the New York Times.
We still have religious liberty although the left is working hard to throttle it. In the past year the mayor of Austin, Texas tried to require pastors to turn over their sermon material and e-mails so she could scan it for what she would call hate language. She was stopped. The next bright light of the left may get away with it. Some probably have by using zoning laws, parking regulation and parade permits.
Religious liberty is a protection that goes both ways. Don’t give it up in the name of tolerance.
Background
Thomas M. Cooley was on the Michigan State Supreme Court after the Civil War.
Dennis Prager covers the distinction between liberty and freedom well in many forums. You can do a search for “Dennis Prager on liberty” and find many listings.
Blakely, William Addison, Ed. American State Papers and Related
Documents on Freedom in Religion, Fourth Revised Edition.
Washington, D.C.: The Religious Liberty Association, 1949.
homo unius libri
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