On Defending Religious Freedom

 (Cross-posted from Facebook)

This week, my mind has cast back 43 years to a pivotal high school experience: my first Mock Trial competition. The case examined whether parents had a legal right to kidnap their adult child out of a religious organization they considered a cult.

I had been raised on certain foundational principles including:

  •  "Now, there [should be] no law against a man's belief; for it [is] strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds." (Alma 30:7)

  • "We do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion..." (Doctrine & Covenants 134:4)

  • "Know this, that every man is free to choose his life and what he'll be." (Hymn # 90 in the hymnal then in use as I played organ for worship services in our small branch, but #240 in the current Hymns.)

  • "We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all [people] the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may." (Article of Faith 11)

With these words echoing in my ears, defending the young adult's right to worship as she saw fit resonated deeply with me. I took up her case with zeal. (I admit that things did not go so well when the role was flipped so that our team had to argue the parent's point of view ; I was not experienced enough with the law to understand the importance of vigorously defending the client's position, within the law, regardless of one's own feelings on the matter.)

My zeal for defending the religious freedom of all people has not diminished. I strongly, with all my heart, resist Christian Nationalism and its associated mistaken idea that we are obliged to enforce or to organize our government according to Christian beliefs.

Because my obligations have me elsewhere (I love Primary) I will not be attending this Sunday's lesson on Religious Freedom, and so I will not have the opportunity to express my strong belief that it is only by defending OTHERS' religious freedom that we can truly safeguard our own.

In place of commenting there, I share some quotes from a recent article by Thomas B. Griffith, former judge of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and chief legal officer of the US Senate, which seem salient to me. (link below). 

  •  "[T]he Constitution 'is designed for vigorous disagreement. It is not designed for irreconcilable contempt. Such contempt loosens the ties of citizenshp and undermines the idea of patriotism.'" (Griffith quotes Michael Gerson.)

  • "The Constitution was also designed to teach us how to live with people we disagree with. This is a lesson we desperately need today."

  • "We must not allow our fears about losing our own freedoms make us 'insensitive to others' claims for theirs.' The freedom and protection we seek must be 'not for ourselves alone.'" (Here, Griffith is quoting Dallin H. Oaks.)

  • "'With the love and mutual respect enjoined by divine commandments, we need to find ways to learn from one another and to reinforce the common insights that hold us together in a STABLE, PLURALIST society." [emphasis mine] (again, Griffith is quoting Dallin H. Oaks.)

  • "We must love even our political adversaries whose views we think are badly mistaken and consider ourselves 'children of God who belong to each other'." (again quoting Oaks)


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