Religious Freedom Generates Moral Values
By: Monika Jablonska
America was founded on Christian values. The founding fathers intended us to be a just and moral people. Separation of church and state is to protect the church from government control. Our founding document says that we have a creator. He created us as equals in His sight. He is the author and source of all of our inalienable human rights. The document appealed to God as to the justness of our cause. The founders believe our nation won independence and was brought into being by divine Providence. A nation that protects religious liberty is likely as ours was to be a just nation that protects other human rights.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Religious Freedom Generates Moral Values
As Ronald Reagan once said, "Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged. When our Founding Fathers passed the First Amendment, they sought to protect churches from government interference.
Reagan added, "They never intended to construct a wall of hostility between government and the concept of religious belief itself. The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny."
In the 20th century, our nation faced a momentous challenge to freedom. We stood up against evil and defeated, first, fascism, and, then, communism.
Today, America faces a new challenge: an assault on religious freedom, which is the most fundamental of our human rights. Religious freedom is inseparable from the rest of our liberties. The question is, whether Americans can maintain their moral discipline and virtues to defend them?
Freedom of religious belief and practice is a fundamental and universal right enshrined in various moral and legal traditions, including ours.
According to Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, a milestone document in the history of liberty, "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right incudes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance."
Pope John Paul II, who suffered for faith under the Nazis and Communists, asserted that “religious freedom … is the basis of all other freedoms and is inseparably tied to them all by reasons of that very dignity which is the human person.”
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reminds us that "The right to religious freedom is rooted in the very dignity of the human person whose transcendent nature must not be ignored or overlooked.” Freedom is oriented to truth, moral values, and "is a means of achieving personal union with God."
In this sense, unlike utilitarianism and pragmatism, religious freedom is an inviolable right.
Then, the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 states, "From its birth to this day, the United States has prized this legacy of religious freedom and honored this heritage by standing for religious freedom."
As our National Security Strategy so clearly express that, "Our Founders understood religious freedom not as the state’s creation, but as the gift of God to every person and a fundamental right for our flourishing society."
Indeed, our Founding Fathers believed that the Christian moral system --- where people "Love God with their whole heart, soul, and mind; and to Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself' — corresponds to the true nature of man. They were convinced that religion helps create moral discipline within society.
On May 29, 2018, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his remarks on the release of the 2017 International Religious Freedom Annual Report, declared, "Religious freedom is in the American bloodstream from the beginning. It’s what brough the pilgrims here from England. Our founders understood it as our first freedom. That is why they articulated it so clearly in the first Amendment … Religious freedom was vital to America’s beginning. Defending it is critical to our freedom."
Constitutional protection of religious freedom in the United States reflects the Founding Fathers’ belief that religion was necessary for existence of a free system of government. Why? Because free government was only "suitable and sustainable for religious people" — a people who have believed that God is the source of human freedom and dignity.
As John Adams put it, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
James Madison described religious liberty as "a right towards men" but "a duty towards the Creator," and a "duty… precedent both in order of time and degree of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society."
The First Amendment of our Constitution — which was intended to separate church from state providing for limited government, while giving "the People" broad liberty — reminds us that the freedom to belief and practice is a fundamental liberty.
Standing for religious freedom is standing for God, natural law, moral values, and truth in America. It's standing for liberty of human person and his dignity.
Whether Americans can maintain their moral discipline and virtue to defend them?
I truly believe so, but we still need Christian leaders who will act on our religious values and morals in public and private. We need young people "who will go beyond the political and cultural impasses of the present and proclaim the Gospel with fresh hope, insight, and conviction." We need political leaders who are ready to fight for our liberties: the freedom to live according to our faith and beliefs.
Dear fellow Americans, now it’s the time for all of us to defend our Church and our religious freedom. It’s also time to defend our own freedoms and the freedom of our families. Freedom of religion not only strengthens the nation's but also serves as a necessary foundation of peace and security in America and globally.
Defense of faith helps us shape our culture for the better.
"Be not afraid," as St. John Paul II appeals to us from the house of God, "throw open the doors to Christ."
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How so?
I have yet to see anyone demonstrate how their religious liberties are being denied.
Perhaps you should actually read the article and see what it says about that.
That wasn’t the topic of the title or body of the seeded article.
And yet you for some reason found it necessary to paste a pic about censoring religious freedom. Hence the subsequent line of discussion.
"Perhaps you should actually read the article and see what it says about that."
What a complete waste of time that would be! Why can't you just answer the question? Hint, you can't.
I did, still don't see anywhere that anyone's religious freedom is being denied. There's lots of rhetoric in the seed about the supposed ideals of our nation, how we've fought evil, fascism and communism in wars, but not a word about how anyone is actually being denied their religious freedoms.
Since the poster clearly can't give any examples they continue to dodge, cut & paste rhetorical nonsense and deflect, which makes it clear that these useless morons have no actual complaint. They'd be thrown out of court for having no standing because they can't show in any way shape or form that they are actually being harmed. This would be considered just another frivolous lawsuit.
They whine, bitch and moan about rational Americans ignoring their whining, bitching and moaning as if it's an attack on their supposed right of their religion to be put on a pedestal. They believe they should be given extra privileges in America because we're supposedly "founded on Christian values", and thus they feel they should be in control of American society, so when they feel that power and privilege declining they lash out, gnash their teeth and foam at the mouth like rabid dogs having their favorite gnawed bone taken away.
Apparently recognizing the religious freedom of all as well as our freedom from religion, they believe their religious freedom is somehow being infringed, but they can't really give examples because that would expose how hollow and weak their argument is. They are losing their grip because fewer and fewer Americans take them seriously and that to them is an attack on their religious freedom when the reality is it couldn't be further from the truth.
You don't agree?
All people have to do is read the comments here.
It would be a frivolous lawsuit because the idea of religious liberty being denied is a frivolous and irrational complaint. As is any claim of religion being necessary for morality. It's the same old nonsensical rhetoric and whining.
I see some people whining about nothing, but not actually demonstrating anything.
I never agree with things that don't exist.
I do not agree either.
Me pointing out how fucking ridiculous the baseless complaint of whiny white Christians being denied their religious freedoms is not denying anyone their religious freedoms. Being critical of weak arguments isn't denying anyone their religious freedoms. There is not a single comment here that is denying anyone their religious freedoms.
If you believe someone is being denied their religious freedom please do cite an example. Otherwise you essentially prove that these spurious claims are weak and baseless.
I do have some examples of where many people were denied their religious freedom, but white conservative Christians rarely see it as such...
So right wing piece of shit white supremacists have no problem denying others their religious freedoms. They've attacked attendees of Mosques, Temples and Churches, murdered Jews, Muslims, black Americans, Sikhs, Hindus and other minorities. But who do many right wing Christian conservatives proclaim as the victims? Themselves of course.
You know, I read the article... twice... and found nothing that says that your religious liberty is being censored. There's a lot of rah rah religion's great and whatnot but no evidence, or even allegation of religious censorship in the article.. Maybe you could point out to us how YOUR religious liberty has been censored because I certainly don't see it.
You don't see it because it is not happening. The same with claims of religious persecution in this country. Just all talk and bluster, but no facts.
Slavery, genocide of native Americans, white supremacy, forced conversions, truly Christian values.
Thankfully we've come a long way and, like the founders intended, made a more perfect union for ALL citizens, not just the privileged white Christian conservatives who've been running things for the last 400 years.
As for religious freedom, what freedoms have the religious been denied? I can erect a statue of Baphomet in my front yard and worship it all day long surrounded by burning upside down crosses if I wanted to, how is anyone's religious freedom being denied? The only restriction on religious freedom is where it meets another Americans freedoms. Religious freedom does not mean it trumps other Americans freedoms like the freedom to get a marriage license or buy cakes from public businesses.
There has never been as much religious freedom as there is now in America. We now hear far more holiday greetings regularly in many businesses and establishments, from Happy Hanukah to Joyous Kwanzaa along with Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Being inclusive is what religious freedom is all about, though apparently some whiny loser Scrooges disagree and are offended that their Holiday isn't the only one being mentioned this time of year.
Now we have another regular winter Holiday tradition which is to listen to right wing conservative news pundits snivel and whine like ants under a magnifying glass about the supposed "War on Christmas" because someone said "Happy Holidays" to them in some clothing store. By the first week of December you can start making a drinking game out of it when watching Fox. Just take a shot every time someone complains about the plight of poor Christian victims having their religious freedoms stripped away by bi-coastal secular progressive anti-God Democrats who refuse to say Merry Christmas to them. Do not attempt to drive home later, you'll be passed out by 7:30...
The seed above is full of right wing rhetoric but nowhere does it actually make any case for religious freedom being attacked or denied. Being critical of whiny religious pricks who constantly play the victim is also not denying them any religious freedom. A religion losing members and going into decline isn't denying them any religious freedoms. Exposing rampant sexual abuse of minors within religious groups and Churches is not denying them any religious freedoms. Protecting a woman's constitutional right to privacy and access to safe legal abortions is not denying any citizen their religious freedom. So where exactly are religious freedoms being denied?
Why don't you answer DP's question rather than your usual cut and paste which has nothing to do with his question or the fact that no one's religious freedom is being denied?
You expect a lot, don't you?
As if you read any of the articles seeded to the front page from this group.
You're always spamming your own 'articles' and never answer a question with a logical and coherent answer, just a cut and paste, spam, of your own 'article'
So, again, no answer.
I'm shocked!
Not in this universe. Maybe at UC Berkeley?
Let's see, slavery is not condemned or prohibited by either God or the Bible. There was the Manifest Destiny. Forced conversations have historically been performed by Christians, often at the sword when converting Pagans or other religions, as we as being seen today with gay conversion therapy. Need I continue?
Probably not since he's talking about the white conservative Christian universe, you know, where right wing fascists dwell, and where right wing conservative Christians can do no wrong and are always the victims, where they're rubber and you're glue so anything you say bounces off them and sticks to you, a realm where being a selfish petulant child is the highest form of faith. Reality has zero relationship with their universe so there's not much point in arguing with them.
It is SSDD with some. The eternal victim of repression
That says nothing to the title or of the premise of the seed that religious freedom generates moral values.
What "moral values" would those be? One doesn't need religion to be moral. And we already have religious freedom.
That question will never be answered.
At least not with anything that's unique or exclusive to religion.
There are no morals at all without religion. Only evil and a total lack of them. All moral and good things that anyone ever does comes from a religious precept and foundation. There can be no good without God.
Nonsense.
getting stuck in the afterlife with most evangelical scumbags would truly be hell to the sane.
Demonstrably false, sanctimoniously arrogant,, and downright stupid! Or are you suggesting anyone who doesn't follow any religion is "evil" or amoral by default? And God is hardly what one would call "good" or moral in the Bible. You can't even prove there's a God to begin with, never mind demonstrating how God magically makes morals.
As usual too.
YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!
the xtian sorting process wouldn't end with believer or not...
Do you consider the religion of Islam (and any other religion that counters Christianity) to provide these morals?
Do you consider murdering first-born children to be moral?
Do you consider slavery to be moral?
Do you consider murdering males who engaged in homosexual acts moral?
Do you consider raping virgins captured in conquest to be moral?
Buy a vowel.
You forgot:
Do you consider burning or hanging people accused of witchcraft to be moral?
You have got to be kidding! So all of us who don't believe in a God are immoral? What exactly makes me immoral? I've only been married once unlike your Orange God who has been married 3 times and has had numerous affairs. I've never slept with anyone since my husband since we got married. I pay my taxes, I go to work, I've never been to prison, never committed a felony, take care of my family...so please tell me how I'm immoral?
Religious belief is not inherently objectively moral. Religious belief is about unquestioned obedience to the church which is far from moral.
Is this an example of your Christian morality?
I wish that you would have warned me before I read that. I just coughed iced tea from my nose.
Religious belief isn't the problem, ORGANIZED religion is the problem....
People who cannot think for themselves are the basis of the problem... the same as they are in politics....
Just like most political leaders love people who believe and go along without understanding what they are believing or going along with, MOST organized religious leaders love the same exact thing...
Jesus was a Jew and eschewed all organized religions... He preached that a persons relationship was directly with god, and a person makes his/her peace directly with god when that time comes...
The founders to a man believed in the same ideals... A persons religious beliefs are uniquely his/hers and the government has no right to interfere in the free exercise of such.... And all the founders were of different particular religious beliefs...
More hate and evil has been committed in the name of organized religion than any other organized activity of man... INCLUDING politics....
Now that being said, morality is the personal life rules one sets for themselves... And in that aspect, respect for one another is the most important.. Hence logically respect is the basis for all morality....
The loudest blaringest horn has no respect for anyone.... Proclamations of morality in religion is the blaringest horn of all...
Just my opinions my friends,
I leave you with this....
"All your protestations of righteousness is like filthy rags before me"
Wisdom of the ages...
That's a good one my friend... Very good...
Feel free to use it. Royalty free.
So... What you're saying here is you're so weak of character that, without the threat of hellfire and damnation, you can't possibly control yourself enough to behave civilly? I'm much stronger than that. Most people are stronger than that.
I've actual had someone tell me once that if it wasnt for God or religion. They would be looting and murdering & whatever else. Anyone who thinks they need a God or religion to be good or moral has some serious issues.
ShepBoy wrote something very similar to that.
That might be whom I was thinking of.
I don’t think that’s true. I see no evidence of it, at any rate.
I agree that freedom of religion is important and it that it has always been a fundamental concern of this country. However, no description of an “assault” on that freedom is described in the article, and I think freedom of religion is actually in a pretty good place in this country.
Religious freedom is under assault for those who adhere to the Biblical standard for marriage and for sexual relations between people. Also those seeking a religious exemption from taking the jab have encountered violations of their rights in many blue cities and states and some woke companies.
Nothing you say there is true.
Total BS! No one is forcing you to marry a gay person or get a vaccine. You have never proven how or where religious liberty is being taken away. Much less demonstrate any punishment associated with it. All you have is more baseless claims and empty whining.
Now that's the truth
Everything I said was absolutely ad completely true.
No, it is not.
No, it isn't. What does the Ten Commandments say about bearing false witness? How do you think Jesus is going to greet you in the afterlife?
What biblical standard are you talking about? Do you mean shacking up with your baby mama like Adam did with Eve? Do you mean polygamy? Several prominent Hebrew men had multiple wives. Do you mean arranged marriages? Do you mean the Levirate marriage where a widow is supposed to marry her brother-in-law? Do you mean the one where female prisoners of war are made slaves and forced into marriage?
What sexual relations are you talking about? Do you mean the kind where a wife (Sarah) gives a slave (Hagar) to her husband (Abram) so they can make babies? Do you refer to the many concubines in the Bible? Do you refer to the clear invitation to drunken, non-marital sex (probably between teens)?
…
What would be the biblical grounds for refusing to be vaccinated against a highly contagious, often fatal disease?
Uh, yes, it is! Especially since you repeatedly fail to support your assertions.
You have posted this claim before and I have let it slide then but I wish to address it [ now.DELETED ]
Objective morality is irrelevant to theistic religious belief. That is why the Humanists use the tagline "good without a god"
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So you were forced to get gay married? How horrible! How despicable! Oh the outrage!... /s
What? No once forced you to get gay married? So it seems that your complaint is that other people have rights that you don't get to deny. No one with more than half a brain will ever take you seriously if that's your proclamation of religious freedoms being denied.
Oh, so now you're claiming that mandates for people working certain government jobs to get vaccinated or for private companies who have decided they want their employees vaccinated are in violation of religious freedom? Are they forced to work those jobs or for those companies? Are they slaves being force to get a life saving vaccine? Of course not, if they're so against protecting themselves and those around them from a deadly virus they are more than welcome to go find other jobs. We have about 10.4 million job openings available across the US at the moment, are you saying that there are some weak uneducated right wing conservative losers who are incapable of applying for another job so they can only claim to be fragile victims throwing themselves at the mercy of the State?
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
If you're a disabled (mental or otherwise) American who can't find a job that allows you to refuse the vaccine, please contact the ADA (Americans with Disabilities) to file for government aid.
Otherwise, perhaps you should go find that job where you don't have to interact with and put at risk other Americans so you can hide your ignorant shame behind a façade of righteous indignation.
Pretty sure we figured that out a long time ago.
When were you forced by the state to date or marry an LGBT person or approve of their relationship or marriage by the government? 50 years ago conservatives were making the same arguments about people of different colors having equal rights as white conservative Christians, so should we be relieved that you are not openly racist and instead have adopted homophobia and transphobia as your outrage-du-jour?
Were these passages deleted from your bible or do they only apply between people of your own sect or maybe only on Sunday between 9:00 am and noon?
Matthew7:12
Luke 6:31
So Jack can’t be coerced into expressing himself with an idea he’s in disagreement with by using his skills to produce said product for said occasion? A calligrapher doesn’t have to use their talent to produce an expression they are diametrically opposed to?
If Biden gets his way, all will be coerced into getting the vaccine, irregardless of religious beliefs exceptions. He wants everyone not getting it to be fired from their jobs.
That the research creating the vaccine involved the death of very young babies through embryonic stem cell use.
Good, get vaccinated or face the consequences for refusing to do so.
Businesses were already forced to serve everyone equally regardless of the owner's bigotry that they try to hide behind their religious beliefs. This is settled law dating from the Newman v. Piggie Park decision where a Klan owned business tried to refused service to a black couple based on his religious beliefs.
There is no expectation that the owners support or agree with the beliefs or actions of the couple/customer, but they cannot deny them equal service if the business is open to the public.
A fetus isn't a baby. Drop the emotional hysterics.
Yes it is. It can be nothing else other than a human being at an early stage of human development. Calling the baby anything else is just a way to get out of guilt and assuage ones conscience when the human life is snuffed out.
I am vaccinated. I’m all for it. I try to persuade people to get it. I’m opposed to mandates. It’s a matter of liberty, freedom, and rights and I as a voluntarily vaccinated person will join the like minded to go to the mat in opposition to mask and vaccine mandates.
Business owners have to serve customers what they have in their shop or store front. They do not have to produce a new product or express themselves in a manner that is in direct opposition to their beliefs.
What are you talking about?
Paranoid delusion. Biden has no such power to do so.
That sounds like some nonsense from an anti-vaccer site. It's also false!
No, it's not.
Except it's not yet a human. Just a clump of cells.
Speak for yourself. Some of us call it for what it is, using scientific definitions. If you feel guilt for doing so, then that's on you. Don't presume to know what anyone else feels.
Rights and liberty comes with a certain responsibility too. If one takes their rights for granted, then they do not deserve rights.
They have to serve everyone equally too.
That's sheer ignorance. A fetus is not a 'very young baby'
Rights come with responsibilities also. It's ignorant and arrogant for those who think otherwise.
It's also willful ignorance. This has been explained many times too.
So... Those who do not adhere to the biblical standard for marriage and sexual relations aren't allowed religious freedoms? Religious freedom does not give you the right to impose your beliefs upon others who believe differently. What you seem to want here is not religious freedom for everybody but to force your beliefs onto everybody. That's not religious freedom. That's religious persecution.
Get a grip:
Ultimately everything is simply an organized form of atoms. Rational minds are capable of distinguishing an artificially inseminated egg growing in a petri dish from a 'baby'.
Not even a fetus, this is an artificially inseminated embryo growing in a petri dish (never in the uterus of a woman).
'A very young baby'
Equating an embryo or fetus to a baby as fact is not only erroneous and stupid, it's little more than an attempt at an appeal to emotion or eliciting an emotional based response or agreement. As if no one could see right through such disingenuous tactics.
If they offer a product or service to one person then they have to offer the same service to anyone else. They can not serve just members that they like or agree with. Makes custom wedding cakes for one person must mean wedding cakes to anyone who asks, regardless of who the couple is. The same goes for photogs, stationary or flowers. Stop trying to hide your bigotry behind religion.
They are not expressing themselves because it is not intended or even expected that it is their expression. That expression is only the customers and they are not expected to agree with it or even like the customers. They are trading their labor for the customer's capital in exchange. This is what capitalism is.
Maybe you should be a bit more like Jesus.
Matthew7:12,
According to your bible is was never human or even alive. We are not alive until we breathe air,.
Genesis 2:7,
That was true for Adam and Eve as they were formed directly by God Himself. That’s not the applicable situation for any that were born. Those God knew while they were still in the womb.
This is more religious apologetics.
More like religious nonsense.
I'm not sure which is more ignorant. Believing in Santa Claus or believing in Adam and Eve?
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At least kids outgrow the belief in Santa.
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This seed, the introductory comments and the seeder's follow up comments are all ammunition in the theocratic dominionists' War on the Truth.
And every one was a dud.
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removed for context by charger
The contents of Comments 5 and 5.1 are the duds in this conversation.
Total duds.
Secular progressive leftist thoughts and ideas are total duds
There is no "conversation" here. There is the fraudulent theocratic dominionist propagandistic disinformation, which is a total dud, and there are the valid critiques and the truth expressed by normal people refuting the theocratic dominionist disinformation.
Reactionary extremist and theocratic dominionist beliefs are the epitome of evil and would inevitably lead to the destruction of modern, enlightened civilization.
Combined post reformation Jewish and Christian values are what led us to have a modern enlightened civilization in the first place. It is state demanded atheism that is the epitome of evil and anti civilization and genocidal.
This is an example of your Christian truth and what a government based on the Christian religion would be,
No it’s not
That is a brilliant response. You support all of those ideas in your quest to make the US a conservative Christian theocracy. People who support those ideas deserve the same fate as those who support ISIL.
This seed, the introductory comments and my follow up comments are all ammunition in We the people’s War on behalf of the Truth.
You represent yourself only. This seed, the introductory comment and your follow up comments are fraudulent theocratic dominionist propagandistic disinformation. You know it and everyone else knows it, too.
I represent a multiracial theistic working and middle class coalition. This seed, the introductory comment and my follow up are the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I know it and everyone else knows it, too.
The claim that there is any truth to this seed, the introductory comment and the seeder's follow up comments is merely propagandistic disinformation and of no value whatsoever.
Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. The rest of us know your BS!
The only one who believes that BS is the poster.
So true. So egomaniacal of some to speak for so many!
Indeed.
You’d think by reading things here that atheism is some giant majoritarian monolithic cult or something.
You'd think by the massive amount of propaganda posted here that white Evangelicalism is fragile, easily triggered and needs constant self reassurance it's special.
Why would I think that?
I can sum all that up in one word or two.
White evangelical Christian is a 21st-century euphemism for Dixiecrat. That is why they oppose the teaching of CRT because the last thing they want is people being taught is that they are ignorant angry bigots to the core who try to desperately hide their bigotry behind obscure passages of the bible while they ignore the teachings of their savior.
If these hypocrites were required to live by the teachings of the man who they claim to be the son of god and their personal savior, as they are recorded in the 4 Gospels, they would claim to be victims of pernicious religious persecution.
It is the secular progressive left militants that are easily triggered.
As can I regarding the dogma of and fragility of the mind of the secular progressive elites
Wrong on each and every single point.
I have been reading your nonsense for almost a decade and I can say with absolute certainly that you make about as much sense as putting taste buds on a hemorrhoid. Not once have I ever seen you make a logical argument.
What exactly is the platform of the secular progressives, if you claim to know so much about our ideas?