The United States will soon mark 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. This significant moment resonates through history and around the globe in ways difficult to fully comprehend. The nation brought forth upon this continent was, as Lincoln described it, “conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Over the last 250 years, we have worked, often haltingly and imperfectly, towards those lofty ideals.
Faith And Freedom
Today, there is an ongoing discussion in our society about the extent to which that early American experiment was founded on Christian principles. This discussion often presumes to use Christian tradition to fill in any gray area around the Constitution’s First Amendment, particularly the Establishment Clause, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
Thomas Jefferson wisely noted that the state could not control individual conscience and belief, but rather that “we are answerable for them to our God”. In his letter to the Hebrew Congregation at Newport, Rhode Island, George Washington wrote, “All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship.”
A Moral Voice
Recognizing the dangers of a world where established religious institutions coupled with state power pull the levers of government, and vice versa, Jefferson famously advocated the “separation between church and state”. This separation, still in effect today, critically allows America’s religious leaders the important role to speak as a moral voice to government and society broadly – in other words, to serve in good faith as the public conscience of our nation.
People of many traditions value living in a nation where they are free to practice their freedom of conscience. Regardless of tradition, we often do so in ways that look remarkably similar. We share our resources with our neighbors. We hold a deep concern for human dignity and wellbeing. We care for the beauty and sustainability of all Creation. We hold each other in grief and mourning when tragedy strikes. We work to build a better society for the most disadvantaged and a better future for our children.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
