St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre - 1572
in which 5,000-30,000 Huguenots were slain across France
By Frans Hogenberg - swanngalleries.com, Public Domain, Link

Religious Liberty

Is the right to worship or not to worship according to your conscientious convictions rather than according to the convictions of someone else important to you? Are you willing that those who differ from your convictions also have the same liberty?

The history of religious intolerance, largely swept under the opulent carpet of modern forgetfulness, is drenched in the blood of those who stood for what they believed. Many seem to have forgotten what our forebears knew by bitter experience that the state that relinquishes protection from the church will in turn become a medium of control over the churches. While we don't believe that civil liberty means that we should always be allowed to do whatever we please, we are alarmed that in the United States—which has long championed civil liberties—our liberties, including our liberty of conscience, are under attack from both the religious and from those who profess no religion, and unwise moves on all sides are resulting in alarming countermoves on the opposing sides. Ironically, these moves are often made with the stated intent of defending our liberties.

According to the word of Jesus, events that will transpire in the end times before He comes again will be of such a character that "if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matthew 24:24). Granting this to be the case, it should be clear that safety cannot be assumed to be found in the theology and opinions of the masses. We must beware of following the crowd—any crowd! We must beware, too, of forming knee-jerk opinions as a reaction to fear.

We believe that among the phenomenon that will decieve many and threaten our freedom of conscience are alleged communications from the dead. Through the ages there have always been reports of supposed spirits of the dead communicating with the living, and these reports seem to be on the upswing. These reports are not always so easily dismissed as the result of a mere mental disturbance or of dishonest reporting. However, the Bible warns us that demonic spirits will use all their cunning to decieve many (even personating angels of light), and strictly forbids any communication with any alleged spirit of the dead, no matter who they claim to be (2 Corinthians 11:14, Leviticus 19:31). Revelation fortells that liberty of conscience will be canceled worldwide—specifically that the world will be compelled, on pain of death, to worship the image of a beast power set up by the dragon, who is Satan and his representatives (Rev. 13:15, Rev. 12:9, Rev. 16:13-14).(It is a fearful thing that many are much more willing to believe that the dead can talk to us than they are willing to believe that Satan—the adversary of God and humankind—and his angels exist.)

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana

No time of crisis will ever necessitate that the state enforce a religious creed except as the state is lulled by special interests. The only worship acceptable to God is the willful worship of love. Compulsory worship is no more acceptable to the Holy God than is the moral decay and oppression that pervade our planet, and it will only serve to further distance the nations from the blessing of God. Tragically, the cause of our moral decadence is not to be attributed as much to problems in the government as it is to a turning away from the law of God in the home and in the church.

"The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance". John Philpot Curran

We must be informed, thinking for ourselves, seeking—and yes, praying—for insight and wisdom. We need to blow the dust off some old history books (and may we add, off of the Bible) and exercise eternal vigilance, unless, of course, we don't tremble at the thought of someday joining those who shed innocent blood.

Further Study

Below are some excellent links for further study pertaining to religious liberty:

Liberty Magazine

International Religious Liberty Association

The North American Religious Liberty Association

Page last modified: 2023.06.05