LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE

THE CENTURION CHRONICLE Special Issue – Sept 2010

LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE (only exists under secular law)

America’s stability as a nation for the past two hundred odd years is due, in large measure, to its constitutional provisions for liberty of conscience within a framework of secular law. In that respect it is unique compared to the rest of the world, where church and state are so closely entwined such liberty does not exist.

The major organized religions, that is, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, are inherently doctrinaire, dogmatic, and uncompromising in their respective ideologies. They are thus mostly intolerant of other faiths, and, only pay lip-service to inter-faith ecumenical relations. Given half a chance, they would happily impose their own doctrines, observances, and rituals on everyone else, using the sanctions of law to do so.

The historical records of these major religions clearly show that (although Judaism has been the least violent about it). Their violent disputations on matters of doctrine, their vicious conflicts between a multiplicity of sects within them, not to mention the confrontations and contentions between them (which continue to this day) have always been a danger to the ideal of personal liberty.

The founders of our republic were well aware of, and understood, that history, and thus extremely concerned with devising ways and means to prevent it from ultimately destroying what they were trying to create. Their solution was – The Constitution – and – The Bill of Rights -, by which liberty of conscience (that is, freedom of religion) was carefully contained within a firm framework of secular law, thereby assuring that the separation between church and state would be absolute, and never breached. That principle is what has allowed us to be both a religious and secular nation, at the same time, with minimal conflict. Fortunately for us their design has stood the test of time, defying many efforts by both the majority and the minority elements of our society, to subvert it.

Today, unfortunately, too many of our career politicos, in their pursuit of perpetual re-election to public office, are quite prepared to subvert that principle under the guise of politically correct “accommodation”, just to pander for votes. The current controversy in New York is a prime example of that, being a largely manufactured controversy for political purposes, because it carefully ignores the fact that the existing structure on that property has been used for the same purposes intended for the proposed new structure for several years, with nary a peep from anyone….before now. It should also be noted that there is also another mosque facility in the same neighborhood, and no one seems to have been upset about that. Such political machinations and maneuvers simply endanger what the founders created for us.

Those of us who truly abide by upholding the provisions of the Constitution and the Bill of rights, no matter what, need to constantly remind others that liberty of conscience, within the framework of secular law, is the only thing that prevents our poly-cultural and secular society from falling apart….and plunging into the abyss of sectarian conflict and theocratic tyranny.

CENTURION