As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. We figured it was a perfect opportunity to reflect on how faith and religion helped shape the founders’ vision of a free society. With that in mind, we invited youth to explore this history and share what religious liberty means to them.
Religious liberty is generally defined as the freedom to worship the way we want to, but what does religious liberty mean to me specifically? To me, religious liberty not only means being able to practice your religion freely, but to have others respect you, even if your beliefs are different from theirs.
Anyone who keeps the Sabbath regularly would know that it puts, what most people would see as “complications,” in what you can and can’t do. While that is not how we see it, keeping the Sabbath like the Bible tells us to, makes things like jobs, or even everyday activities, more interesting.
In my case, I take show jumping lessons at a barn where there are many people who are not Christians, much less Seventh-day Adventists. The trouble with this is that most people who horseback ride and show jump go on to ride in shows. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but 90% of the shows are on Sabbath. It can be disappointing, as most of the other students go to ride in big shows while I can’t participate. But the comforting part is that my teachers, and the students I ride with, are kind, respectful and willing to accommodate, so I can participate in something. While not all people are like that, I think that this is a huge part of the meaning of religious liberty.
Most people would think of not having religious liberty as being persecuted for your beliefs, but I think that religious liberty stops people from persecuting you on a more minor scale, rather than things like torture. Criticism and disrespect are examples of that type of persecution. Religious liberty can protect us from those. People should respect and accept the fact that we have different beliefs than they do. While there are many reasons that religious liberty is important, these reasons mean the most to me. This is what religious liberty means to me.
Cole Pendleton recently graduated from eighth grade at Cicero Adventist Elementary School.
People tend to talk about religious liberty as if it’s an all-or-nothing thing where people get to believe and express whatever they want without limit, or the state forces strict secularism.
But the truth that I’ve come to realize is far messier. Religious liberty currently lives (and should live) somewhere in the middle as a careful balance between what you believe and what you owe to the people around you. At the heart of the freedom we’re allowed, I believe you should be able to follow and practice your faith, whether that’s behind closed doors or out in public for everyone to see. But the line gets drawn when the freedom you’re allowed justifies harm to someone else.
The idea of total religious freedom sounds great and could work in a perfect world. However, we are nothing close to the sort and letting everyone do whatever they want in the name of faith is just impossible in a complex world where we are surrounded by so many different beliefs and religions. That’s where the state steps in and serves the purpose of establishing and protecting basic human rights for everyone, without picking favorites. Even then, deciding exactly where to draw those lines is a hard job. When a religious practice clashes with public safety or someone’s civil rights, the law steps in. Figuring out what wins between tradition or the current good of the community is one of the most challenging parts of running a modern democratic society.
If you look at the way history, religion and ethics teachers discuss this, you’ll see that most religions overlap a lot with what the law already asks for — like goodwill toward others, fairness and justice. But specific religious rules or tenets can’t stand in for laws that are supposed to apply the same way to everyone, especially when they vary by faith. That’s why laws have to stay broad and inclusive. Still, that doesn’t mean we toss religion and its traditions aside. Faith shapes how people think and act; I daresay it’s deeply human and can inspire the best kinds of ethical behavior. Law and faith often want the same things, even if they come from different places.
The best societies find a way to keep faith central to people’s lives without letting it override the rights of others. When we find that balance and let religious liberty exist while protecting each individual under the law, we protect them. That’s what keeps communities both free and stable. To me, religious liberty means the government doesn’t get to control what people believe and demonstrate, but everyone still has to play by a shared set of rules built on mutual respect and understanding.
Ronnie (RJ) P. Nicholson II is rising junior at Oakwood University and a member of the Shiloh Church.
As a student at Great Lakes Adventist Academy, I’m blessed to experience religious freedom every day. Whether I am praying with a classmate or leading a Bible study from my dorm room, I have full liberty to practice my faith as I feel convicted. At GLAA, religion is not only allowed but encouraged through daily chapel services, prayer groups, and service opportunities. Compared to most, I may seem privileged to enjoy these freedoms.
However, freedom of choice and freedom of conscience are not privileges; they are gifts from God to us all. Religious liberty is not just a blessing, but a basic human right. The first man and woman, Adam and Eve, first experienced this right when they were given the choice between good and evil. Since then, every man and woman in history has been faced with this same choice.
Like many other freedoms we enjoy, the freedom to practice religion was not free. Since Creation, Satan has attacked this freedom. That is because freedom of choice reflects the nature of a loving God. God never forces us to choose Him. In the same way, we cannot force our religious beliefs on others. Because God is love, He allows everyone to make choices based on their own conscience.
As a religious minority, we as Seventh-day Adventists highly value religious liberty. It is not only important for us to practice our religion, but also to share the good news of the Second Advent with the world. Freedom to choose — or not to choose — Jesus is a core principle of the gospel and a God-given right for all mankind.
Are we treating this right like the gift that it is? For those of us who experience this freedom, are we truly taking full advantage of it? The Bible warns us that there will be a time when religious freedom will be compromised on a global scale. The whole world will be given the choice between good and evil one last time. Until then, are you training your mind to choose what is good? Are you exercising your religious freedom in a way that deepens your relationship with God? Religious freedom is a gift. Let’s appreciate that gift by living and sharing the gospel every day.
Lily Canada is a junior at Great Lakes Adventist Academy.
Having had experience leading a ministry on a public campus, I have come to recognize that many factors contribute to the success of any ministry. Ultimately, it is each individual’s decision whether to attend a Bible study, but that decision can only be made if they are first given the opportunity. What happens if someone never hears about it? Or if we, as organizers, have not addressed the logistical details necessary to make a gathering possible? Without thoughtful planning or sufficient financial support to meet the basic needs of students who wish to attend, even the most meaningful efforts can fall short.
Moreover, it is essential that we have opportunities for outreach — spending time with students, hosting events that invite connection, and creating pathways for them to become involved in our organization. Central to this mission is the ability to host Bible studies freely, where we can share and teach the foundational truths of Scripture. Many of these opportunities are made possible through the support and resources provided by the university. We are able to reserve campus facilities at little to no cost for our meetings and events, promote our activities through university channels — an especially important tool for reaching freshmen — and utilize social media to engage a diverse student body. All of these “tools” depend on and are sustained by the principle of religious freedom.
Without this freedom, campus ministries like ours would struggle to exist, let alone grow. We would not be able to establish Bible studies, foster spiritual communities, or witness students making decisions to be baptized. The support we receive from our local church, conference, donors and the university play a vital role in this work, but it is religious freedom that undergirds it all and makes it possible.
We are deeply grateful to those who uphold and protect religious freedom in the United States. Because of this foundation, we can continue our outreach and ministry, embracing the unique and meaningful opportunity to guide students toward a relationship with God.
Slava Cherempei is heading into his senior year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.