Counsel #11 — Our Responsibility To Defend Religious Liberty

Picture: Counsel #11 — Our Responsibility To Defend Religious LibertyCCW 119.1

In a world rife with religious tensions, nations and individuals have a critical role to play inCCW 119.2

defending religious liberty and the separation of church and state. This concept, enshrined inCCW 119.3

constitutions like the United States’ First Amendment, is the bedrock of freedom to practice faith, convert, or choose no religion at all, free from government interference. It allows individuals to connect with their deepest held beliefs without fear of persecution.CCW 119.4

The separation of church and state prevents the potential for the government to become a tool for religious dominance. Preserving religious liberty is the responsibility of nations, through strong legal frameworks, and individuals, through active citizenship without manipulative tactics, coercion or political maneuvering for personal gain or power.^{[178]https://www.adventist.org/religious-liberty/public-affairs-and-religious-liberty/}CCW 119.5

“Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet;.… Is this not the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:1, 6 NKJVCCW 119.6

“It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger. We should endeavor to disarm prejudice by placing ourselves in a proper light before the people. We should bring before them the real question at issue, thus interposing the most effectual protest against measures to restrict liberty of conscience.” Ellen White in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 452CCW 119.7

Reflect: Do you feel a personal responsibility to defend religious liberty? Why or why not?CCW 119.8