The Lord be with you
In volume 79, number 1-2, January/April 2015 issue of Concordia Theological Quarterly is an article titled Religious Freedom in America.
It was written by R. Neely Owen. (A link so you can download the article can be
found at the bottom of this review.) Because Owen is a sitting Judge, the
following disclaimer appears at the bottom of the first page:
Judge R. Neely Owen presently sits in
the Charlottesville, Virginia, area hearing matters for an agency at the
federal level. The views expressed within this article are entirely his own and
should not be construed to indicate approval by any United States governmental
agency or entity. He is solely responsible for the content and the substance
expressed therein.
With such a disclaimer, one would expect Judge Owen might
express certain “dangerous” opinions. He does not disappoint.
The article begins with a warning that the days of
comfortable Christianity are over in the USA. He ends this section with a
statement about his goal for the article.
Though I am Christian, and my faith is
that Christ is the only way to the Father, this study addresses general
principles concerning religious freedom as it has been developed in the United
States. It concerns the essential right of everyone to express freely their
faith through their speech and their lawful actions, both privately and in the
public square. Unless these rights are preserved and protected for everyone—including
those who believe differently than we do or perhaps believe in nothing at
all—then we will find our claim to religious freedom a hollow shell.
Owen then moves to a history of religious freedom in our
country which addresses the “developed in the United States” portion of his
purpose statement. This, naturally, begins with colonial America (which mainly
did have “establishment” churches). How did we go from having some specific
denomination as “the” state supported religion to no religion having a
monopoly?
The next portion of his paper deals with the history of
jurisprudence in reference to religious freedom. It may seem odd to us, but the
Federal court cases before the twentieth century are rather sparse. Owen
explains that, until the twentieth century, the main body of thought was that
the Constitution basically said the Federal government should keep its hands
off, but states could do as they saw fit. Boy, has that ever changed.
Enter the 1960’s. Owen says that decade truly impacted our judicial
system. The maps that guided public life were discarded, and there were no new
maps that were generally accepted. He continues to review judicial decisions
that have had a negative impact on religious freedom and why they threaten the
First Amendment.
He ends the article claiming that there is indeed hope, but
we need to be involved in the public square. If we don’t show up, then the
voices that oppose religious freedom in general and Christianity in particular,
will carry the day.
He also covers the question: “What if the Supreme Court
rules incorrectly?” All one has to do is remember the Supreme Court’s Dread
Scott v. Sanford decision to know that the Supreme Court can indeed rule
incorrectly. This again calls for us to be in the public square.
Because I’m traditional and conservative in my views, I’ve
heard many people complain about “activists” courts. So it was surprising to
read, “It is the culture, by and large, that has driven the direction of
judicial decisions.” With this view, it isn’t surprising that Owen urges
Christians to clearly add their voices to the public debate, even if we are
told to keep silent. He writes,
As Christians who still hold firmly to
the truth, we may legitimately ask ourselves what can we do to affect our culture
and to be a voice in the public square? For one thing, we must continue doing
what we are doing. In the case of our seminaries, that means continuing to
develop and train men for the pastoral office so truth may resonate loud and
clear wherever they are called to minister. Likewise, deaconesses can serve a
vital role as beacons of light that pierce a world shrouded in darkness. We
must encourage these young—and sometimes not so young—men and women to engage
the culture wherever and however they may find opportunity. They can write
columns on culture, morals, and values for their local newspapers, write
letters to the editor, or start a blog. Now is the time to bring back Lutheran
Laymen’s League or Lutheran Women’s Missionary League groups where they have
gone dormant or seek to reinvigorate those still meeting, engaging them in
topics designed to focus on a culture gone awry and how it can be brought back
to center. Above all, they must be encouraged to integrate themselves into
their communities, performing acts of mercy and telling those who ask about
Christ that he is the reason they are impelled to do so.
He goes on to write,
Our job as Christians is to stand in
the gap—be present in the “in-between” place—and be the filter through which
the discussions that matter take place—the substance that supports the values
and mores being challenged and attacked by the culture and society. Our
responsibility is to make clear our convictions regarding the truth and thereby
to shore up those things that Satan is attempting to tear down.
In general, this was a good, informative and personally
challenging read. I’d have to say that Owen achieved the goals he set for
himself in writing the article. The question for all readers will be, “what
will I do now?”
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Rickert
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