Counsel #24 — What Drives Religious Legislation?

Picture: Counsel #24 — What Drives Religious Legislation?CCW 132.1

National religious legislation can often be driven by forces far removed from genuine religious devotion. While proponents may frame it as upholding religious values, the true motivation can be a desire for power and control. Instead of demonstrating the character of God, which includes free will and loving the most vulnerable, these laws can marginalize and penalize those with different beliefs or practices.^{[197]https://www.misda.org/media/blogs/christian-nationalism}CCW 132.2

In contrast to religious legislation, God calls upon Christians to hasten the coming of the Lord, not the coming of civil penalties and persecution for religious minorities. Through respectful dialogue with civic leaders, friends, family and neighbors, social media posts, letters to the editor, and our votes, we can help others understand the true nature of Christ’s kingdom (John 18:36), one that prioritizes Jesus’ values of inclusivity and compassion over authoritarianism and oppression.CCW 132.3

“So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you.” 1 Peter 5:1, 2 ESV (emphasis supplied)CCW 132.4

“All persecution, all force employed to compel conscience, is after Satan’s own order; and those who carry out these designs are his agents to execute his hellish purpose.” Ellen White in Review and Herald, January 10, 1893, par. 10CCW 132.5

Reflect: How does forcing religious beliefs on others contradict the core values of your faith?CCW 132.6