The Erosion of Religious Freedom

I am apolitical. Unabashedly so in fact. Have been for quite a number of years now. The circus that was the election for the California Governor's seat in 2003 sealed the deal for me. And no, I didn’t vote for Arnold. I voted for one of the other 100+ candidates vying for my attention. To some it might seem odd then that I feel compelled to speak on political things from time to time, but I do, however very rarely. I haven’t written a “letter to the editor” in years. Yet now is one of those times, but not for the reasons you may think.

I remember that I used to argue with my mother (Heavenly Father, rest her soul) while growing up as a young adult when she used to say to me, “If you don’t vote you have no right to complain” to which I would always retort, “Mom there’s nothing in the First Amendment that says if you don’t vote you have no right to speak out against the government.” To me this is still true today. Now interestingly, some may equate the voting process as a form of speaking pro or con and our “civic duty”. They indeed have a legitimate point. However I don’t see the right to speak freely limited to just the voting booth. With that said, I have purposely limited myself to rarely, if ever, speaking out about our government and what the government chooses to do. I mean seriously if anyone thinks they are going to tell a 3.6 trillion dollar-a-year gorilla where to sit, where to stand and what to do then I have news for you — you are seriously kidding yourself.

No, the reason I’m bringing politics into the mix here is to make a simple illustration about religious liberty and how I believe it will eventually be eroded away. The Senate has set itself to finalize a vote to pass President Obama’s massive heath care reform bill on Christmas eve. That bill, whether you agree with it or not or even whether you believe this or not, includes language that a person must buy health coverage and if they don’t they will be taxed. Seriously. The last time such a massive power grab was instigated against the American people by Congress at Christmas time we got the Federal Reserve Act and we all know where the cliff is that that Act has eventually led this nation to.

Now frankly to tell anyone that they have to buy health coverage or else be taxed is unconscionable and a violation of basic human rights. Basically the equivalent to telling a vegetarian that they must buy and eat Filet Mignon and if they don’t they will be taxed. Vegetarian? So what. Buy and eat....or else! It’s the equivalent of telling someone that doesn’t eat swine (like me!) that they have to buy hog maws and pickled pigs feet and eat. Swine free? So what. Buy and eat....or else!

As we know this bill will be passed and signed by the President. Guaranteed. It will then make the obligatory rounds through the press and the courts, where it is my prediction that the Supreme Court will eventually give us some wonderfully flowery language how this bill is good for the nation as a whole, outweighs individual liberty and thus the 3.6 trillion dollar-a-year gorilla must get it’s way. Now, of course I could be all wrong, that none of this will in fact happen, but I don't think so.

This is where I believe the aspect of religious liberty can and will eventually be tested. The questions regarding of freedom of conscious — brought to bear by this bill and it’s attendant wrangling will thus be settled once and for all. Can the questions regarding our religious liberty to worship on the day we choose be far behind? Personally, I don’t think so. Once that 3.6 trillion dollar-a-year gorilla is in the room anything is liable to happen.

When Caesar knocks at the door and says, “Pay up” what shall we as Christians do? When the government comes and demands our participation in this future boondoggle what shall we do? We shall say, “Yes sir, how much you want?” It is clear from scripture (and you may disagree) that if Caesar thinks something is his, whatever that something is, we are to give it to him because we know in reality that whatever Caesar has doesn’t actually belong to Caesar, it belongs to our Heavenly Father. When Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and render unto God the things that are God’s” Jesus made the situation as plain as day. He shocked everyone in the process. He made it plain that nothing belongs to Caesar and everything belongs to God. Yet if Caesar wants something, give it to him.

What then are we to do when Caesar tells us what day we can take off to worship or even what day in fact we can worship? What then? Well that’s easy. We obey God. Our Heavenly Father has given us something, His Sabbath day, that no man has a right or any authority to take or to claim for it belongs to Him. The Sabbath is God’s day. He made it, He owns it. It was made for man to enjoy. If Caesar wants to violate our freedom of conscious to tell us want to buy then that is certainly something Caesar can and will do. However, if Caesar wants to violate our freedom of religious conscious and tell us what day we can or can’t worship our Heavenly Father then you are free to tell Caesar sorry, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” - Psalms 118:24