Pastor’s Perspective: Religious diversity is a foundation of the nation
LA TimesAs we gear up for our next national election and those here in Orange County this November, and seeing flags and bumper stickers locally for competing viewpoints everywhere I turn, it behooves all of us to reflect anew on the meaning of “democracy” and what is at stake in its preservation. Their religious-political agenda rests upon the historically false belief that the United States was founded as an officially “Christian” nation based upon “biblical principles.” This movement imperils the freedom of religion not only of non-Christians but also of all Christians who dissent from its religious-political agenda. When the Pilgrims came to our shores, they sought religious freedom for themselves as dissenters from the Church of England, which was the official religion of the nation they had left behind. Indeed, this freedom of religion from governmental interference is what made the United States the first truly “modern” nation in Western history. Responsible citizenship requires accurate knowledge of our history and appreciative understanding of the necessarily reciprocal relationship between freedom of religion and democracy.
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