Do you believe in liberty, freedom, and the American dream? Would you fight to protect these things you hold dear?

While participating in an afterschool program known as REACH, a young man was told that he could read any book he wanted except for the Bible. He stood up for his rights, however, and did not stop reading. The teachers tried to take the book away, and claimed that the program would be shut down if he didn’t give it to them.

The first amendment clearly states:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Our Constitution sets the clear boundaries of what the government can and can’t restrict, so why are our rights still being violated today? The Constitution is on our side, the side of the people. It says Congress cannot make a law prohibiting the exercise of religion, even in public. Freedom of religion is just as important as freedom of speech. They are both included in the first amendment. Would you give up your right to think and say what you want? No, of course not. But religion is essentially a way of thinking. It’s a set of morals that a large group follows, and if we are allowed free speech and the right to share our opinion, what’s the problem with religion? All it is a way of thinking and expressing ideas.

Without religion and religious freedom there is no virtue, nothing to fight for. Without religion, where would anyone get their morals? Religion doesn’t have to be believing in a greater being or deity. It can be a way of thinking, a way of perceiving things. You cannot contain that in private. So why restrict it? It would be like trying to take away someone’s morals, their built in right/wrong system. Your personal beliefs are the way you see the world, and are interwoven into your brain and body. You are not a human being without an opinion, set of morals, and a free voice.

“America didn’t create religious liberty. Religious liberty created America.”
Gov. Bobby Jindal

Do you know why our founding father fled to the New World? Their religious freedom was in jeopardy. Our nation was founded because our forefathers wanted a place where anyone could practice any religion without being oppressed as they were. This is one of the reasons so many people flock to our borders each year. They want a place of security and safety, a place to be free to make their own life decisions.

Religious freedom doesn’t mean force everyone else to believe in your religion. It just means you have Muslim and Christian friends at school and they aren’t arrested. Taking away the American people’s freedom to practice their religion in public would mean changing the Bill of rights for the first time. The Bill of Rights was created to protect our freedom; It shows our deepest values and our most common beliefs. Beliefs based on religion.

Religious freedom is the key to a limited government. Without religion and our morals, how would we know when to stand up and declare that the government has gone too far? With religion, different families and communities and govern themselves, and do not have to depend on any government for anything. They create their own household rules and can change them depending on what works. If we did not have this freedom, the federal or state governments would make a list of rules for every household, and this, as we all know, would fail. Every person, every house, is different, and one set of rules cannot and will not be sufficient for them all. We are built on diversity. The US is one of the most powerful countries because of the strength of its people. Without this, we would be nothing, since we are run by the people and for the people. Without religion, we have no morals. Without morals, we have no people. Without people, there is no United States of America. Religious freedom is what built our country. Religious freedom is what will keep it going.

Sources:

"ACLU-TN Protects Student's Right to Read Bible at School." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2016

"Why Does Religious Freedom Matter?" The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Religion in America: The New Ecumenicalism." The Brookings Institution. N.p., 01 Dec. 2002. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Your Right to Religious Freedom." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.

"Special Rights For Religion." Take Action! N.p., n."Religious Freedom and Marriage in Federal
Law." The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.d. Web. 17 May 2016.