6 A few scholars have gone so far as to argue that religion does not deserve to be tolerated, much less receive special protection. 5 Some even claim, with no sense of history, that religious people and institutions violate the constitutional separation of church and state if they bring their beliefs into the public square. 4 Others condemn churches and religious organizations for expressing moral and religious perspectives on matters of public policy-especially when those perspectives conflict with secular viewpoints. Some say that faithful Americans have no business speaking of their beliefs when addressing issues of public concern, even when those issues involve unmistakably moral judgments. Although religious freedom lies at the core of what America is and what it stands for, critics now openly ask whether religion belongs in American public life at all. Rather, it is a much richer “positive” freedom-the freedom to live one’s religion or belief in a legal, political, and social environment that is tolerant, respectful, and accommodating of diverse beliefs. While protection from government persecution is of course crucial, that is not all that religious freedom means:Ī robust freedom is not merely what political philosophers have referred to as the “negative” freedom to be left alone. . . It gives us all space to determine for ourselves what we think and believe-to follow the truth that God speaks to our hearts. Religious freedom is the cornerstone of peace in a world with many competing philosophies. Last year at an interfaith conference on religious freedom in São Paulo, Brazil, I addressed a meeting of religious leaders, including Catholics, Evangelicals, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jews, Muslims, and many others. No one who knows the difficult history of the Jewish people, or their fate during succeeding generations, can fail to be impressed by Washington’s affirmation of religious freedom. May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants-while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid. The Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should themselves as good citizens. They had written congratulating him on his election. In 1790, at a time when western Europe excluded Jews from the full rights of citizenship, including the ability to hold public office, President George Washington wrote a memorable letter to the Jewish congregation in Newport, Rhode Island. My remarks this evening are about America’s great heritage of religious liberty-and about the need for each of us to defend that heritage before it is too late.
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