Originally Posted by Buvarian
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You misapprehend, please allow me to elaborate. The idea of Religious Freedom is one which should be sacredly and steadfastly cherished by the true American. And by religious freedom I do also include irreligious freedom. I believe though that the very idea of religious toleration, in our government, is based upon the deep conviction of the sacredness to man of his religious duties and obligations.
It is not from indifference to religious that all various forms are tolerated among us, but from a high and sacred regard for it. It is a confession on the part of the state that those relations are too high and solemn for any human interference, and that they are sacred to god, and the individual conscience. It is urged that no man has a right to disbelieve religious truth, and therefore government cannot protect such a right lawfully. Now let these men remember that we admit that no man has a right, as he is related to his God, to reject truth and choose error. But who is to be the judge of this matter of fact? It is man or is it God? We say God: the man is responsible indeed, but, in the language of religious freedom, responsible to God alone. He is responsible to no man, or set of men, be they either a state or a church. This is the doctrine of our constitution and of our laws. We do not hold that men are irresponsible in this high matter, but that they are irresponsible to their weak and erring fellows, and responsible alone to the all-wise and all-impartial judgement of the great searcher of hearts. To say therefore that a tolerant government is irreligious, is a positive libel; it is just, because they believe in a great and infinite God, who is well able to take care of the affairs of his own empire, without our mistaken, and bigoted, and fanatic aid, and who holds an equal balance to all hearts; just, because we believe in the deep solemnity of man's responsibility to God, that the state refuses itself to interfere with it, and mark, will as sternly refuse to let any sect or church interfere with it. The state in this country has been careful not to ally itself with the church- it leaves that free, and stands free itself. Let no church abuse this freedom, by setting itself in its policy against the fundamental law of the state, seeking to make itself a mere instrument of religious tyranny and despotism; let the American citizen of every sect sternly guard against the intrusion of this spirit: it is the spirit of despotism, alien to our constitution and government.
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02-21-2020, 06:23 PM
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