Word for Word

by Fr. Jim Dubert

This weekend we celebrate our nation’s independence and the freedoms on which it was founded. One key freedom is religious freedom. It is the first freedom mentioned in the First Amendment, before freedom of speech, press, and assembly. Our nation’s founders knew how key it was.  
With Supreme Court rulings in Iowa and the nation these last fifty years, many Christians and people of other faiths see an ongoing attack on our constitutional right to religious freedom. This erosion of religious freedom is not new.
The bible reminds us of the importance of religious freedom and suggests we need to continuously fight for it with God’s power. Remember when God spoke to Moses in the burning bush and said, “You and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, we pray you, let us go a three days’ journey into the wildness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’  I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go useless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all the wonders which I will do in it, after that he will let you go.”  (Exodus 3:18b-20)
These words of God from the burning bush began the most important fight for freedom in the Old Testament, the Exodus. Jesus knew of the history of the Exodus and taught the importance of real freedom, especially religious freedom. He said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31b-32)
St. Paul echoed Jesus’ teaching when he said, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) He also said, “For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)
These biblical teachings lead many of our nation’s founders to understand the natural and inalienable right of every human, created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26), to be protected by civil authority in their exercise of religious freedoms. God told Moses of his duty to offer genuine worship, even if resisted by the power of the “king.” Our founders knew the oppression of a king that did not respect their dignity and liberties. Our Christian founding fathers also knew that we already glory in the “liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:20b) and need constitutional protection of those liberties.
This Fourth of July, let’s all recommit ourselves to protecting religious freedom in our nation and pray to God for his “mighty hand” to back us up!