“Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess, and to observe the religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we can not deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offence against God, not against man.”
James Madison to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia
James Madison was one of the founding fathers who pushed for the first amendment to the US Constitution for separation of church and state. To deny equal freedom and protection to any citizen makes it possible to deny the same freedom to ourselves. This protection allows us to have leaders who come from all the different religions in this county. No leader can force his or her religious views on the rest of us. We must even allow for those who do not have any religious views or deny the existence of a deity.
This freedom of religion has made possible over three hundred Christian church groups to worship freely. It also makes possible the free worship of all non-Christian religious expressions. Every organized expression of faith can be found some where in this country. As individual citizens we each make our own personal choices and that is a very good thing.
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