There is an old adage, “When you come to a fence, you should ask why it is there before you take it down.” I remembered this statement as I recently read Bonnie Erbe’s Jan. 1 commentary, “Loss of Christians’ political power will be a blessing for all of us.”
Our founding fathers established this great country on several principles, the most proclaimed was freedom. They wanted to have a land where man was free to pursue happiness and establish a life for himself, run by his own conscience, free from the intrusion of government or its entities. But they understood that man could never have absolute freedom. Absolute freedom implies that there is nothing which intrudes into the decisions of life.
kAmw@H6G6C[ 23D@=FE6 7C665@> :D 2 AC@3=6>[ 7@C E96 564:D:@?D @7 @?6 >2? 2=H2JD 92G6 C2>:7:42E:@?D FA@? @E96CD] u@C 6I2>A=6[ E96 C62D@? E92E EC277:4 =2HD 6I:DE :D E@ C6DEC2:? 7C665@>] x7 @?6 >2? 56E6C>:?6D 96 H:== 8@ `__ >A9 5@H? {:>:E pG6?F6 3642FD6 96 92D 23D@=FE6 7C665@>[ 9:D 49@:46 H:== 92G6 C2>:7:42E:@?D 7@C @E96CD EC2G6=:?8 @? E96 C@25 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6]k^Am
kAm~FC 72E96CD F?56CDE@@5 E92E 23D@=FE6 WE@E2=X 7C665@> H@F=5 3C:?8 5@H? 2 D@4:6EJ 2?5 E96C67@C6[ 76?46D >FDE 36 :?DE2==65] u6?46D 2C6 :?DE2==65 E@ 6:E96C <66A D@>6E9:?8 :? @C E@ <66A D@>6E9:?8 @FE] ~FC 7@F?56CD F?56CDE@@5 E92E :? 2 D@4:6EJ H9:49 AC@4=2:>65 7C665@>[ 2 76?46 @7 >@C2=:EJ ?66565 E@ 36 C2:D65 E@ <66A >2?’D 7C665@> 96=5 :? 4964<]k^Am
kAm|@C2=:EJ :D :>A@DD:3=6 9@H6G6C[ :? @FC D@4:6EJ @7 C6=2E:G:D>] (6 =:G6 :? 2 E:>6 H96? @FC J@F?8 >:?5D 2C6 E@=5 E92E C62=:EJ :D H92E E96J >2<6 :E[ ECFE9 :D H92E E96J 36=:6G6[ 2?5 E92E ?@E9:?8 :D EC2?D46?56?E] qFE @FC 7@F?56CD F?56CDE@@5 E92E >@C2=:EJ ?66565 E@ 2D46?5 7C@> 23D@=FE6 ECFE9 2?5 E92E E96C6 42? 36 ?@ 23D@=FE6 ECFE9[ 6I46AE E9C@F89 v@5]k^Am
kAmr@?D:56C E96 @A6?:?8 H@C5D @7 E96 s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46 — “(6 9@=5 E96D6 ECFE9D E@ 36 D6=7\6G:56?E[ E92E 2== >6? 2C6 4C62E65 6BF2=[ E92E E96J 2C6 6?5@H65 3J E96:C rC62E@C H:E9 46CE2:? F?2=:6?23=6 #:89ED[ E92E 2>@?8 E96D6 2C6 {:76[ {:36CEJ 2?5 E96 AFCDF:E @7 w2AA:?6DD]” s@ J@F D66 E96 76?46 C2:D65n ~FC C:89ED H6C6 8:G6? E@ FD ?@E 3J 2 8@G6C?>6?E[ 2? :?DE:EFE:@?[ @C >6?j C2E96C @FC C:89ED 2C6 :?5665 @FC C:89ED 3642FD6 E96J 2C6 96=5 E@86E96C 3J 2? 23D@=FE6[ D@>6@?6 H9@ EC2?D46?5D DA246 2?5 E:>6[ @FC rC62E@C[ v@5]k^Am
kAmxE D66>D E96D6 52JD[ E96 A@AF=2C 6?562G@C :D E@ C6>@G6 v@5 7C@> 6G6CJ :?DE:EFE:@? 2?5 C65F46 w:> E@ @?=J E96 AC:G2E6 H@CD9:A @7 2 76H] (6 2C6 E@=5 E92E r9C:DE:2?D 92G6 ?@ A=246 :? A@=:E:4D[ 2D @3G:@FD=J E96J 2C6 3:2D65 @? DF49 :DDF6D 2D >@C2=:EJ 2?5 =:76] (6 2C6 E@=5 E92E v@5 D9@F=5 36 32??65 7C@> E96 AF3=:4 2C6?2[ 2D w6 :D ?@ =@?86C ?66565] p== E96 H9:=6[ tC36 2?5 @E96CD D2J E92E E9:D =@DD @7 r9C:DE:2? :?7=F6?46 :D 2 “3=6DD:?8 7@C 2== @7 FD]” (6 H@F=5 5@ H6== E@ DE@A[ 367@C6 @FC D@4:6EJ E2<6D 5@H? E96 76?46D 4@?DECF4E65 3J @FC 7@F?56CD[ 2?5 2D< H9J E96J H6C6 AFE E96C6 :? E96 7:CDE A=246]k^Am
kAm(92E 92D 366? E96 C6DF=E @7 E96 C6>@G2= @7 E96 76?46n ~?6 4@F=5 8@ @? 2?5 @? H:E9 E96 DE2E:DE:4D @7 5642J — 7@C 6I2>A=6[ D:?46 E96 `he_D G:@=6?E 4C:>6 4@>>:EE65 3J E66?286CD 282:?DE @E96C E66?286CD 92D C:D6? 3J >@C6 E92? f__ A6C46?E] qFE 7@C @FC AC6D6?E AFCA@D6D[ ?@E9:?8 AC@G6D E96 56DECF4E:@? E92E 7@==@HD E96 C6>@G2= @7 2 76?46 =:<6 E92E @7 E96 C646?E 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@= D9@@E:?8 :? r@??64E:4FE]k^Am
kAmp7E6C DF49 2 EC2865J[ A6@A=6 5:5 ?@E 4@>6 E@86E96C 2?5 >@FC?[ H66A[ AC2J[ @C 4@?D@=6] x?DE625[ H:E9@FE 2?J C682C5 7@C E9@D6 H9@ 925 366? 56AC:G65 @7 E96:C J@F?8 =:G6D @C E96 A2C6?ED H9@ 8C:6G65[ A@=:E:4D C6DF>65]k^Am
kAm~?6 D:56 D4C62>65 7@C >@C6 8F? 4@?EC@=[ 36=:6G:?8 E92E :7 E96 8@G6C?>6?E H@F=5 36 >@C6 :?E6?E:@?2= 23@FE =:>:E:?8 8F? @H?6CD9:A E96 EC2865J H@F=5 ?6G6C 92G6 92AA6?65] x? C6DA@?D6[ E96 @E96C D:56 4=2:>65 8F? 4@?EC@= H2D E96 AC@3=6>] x7 2C>65 D64FC:EJ 8F2C5D H6C6 AC6D6?E 2E D49@@=[ E96 EC2865J H@F=5 92G6 366? DE@AA65] u@C H66<D[ E9:D :D 2== H6 92G6 962C5]k^Am
kAmw6C6 :D E96 AC@3=6> 2?5 E96 AC@@7 E92E @FC 76?46D 2C6 36:?8 E2<6? 5@H?] x? E96 >:5DE @7 E9:D EC2865J[ E96C6 H2D @?6 BF6DE:@? E92E H2D ?6G6C 2D<65] (6 2D<65[ “(92E <:?5 @7 8F? 5:5 96 FD6n” “(92E <:?5 @7 D64FC:EJ 6I:DE65n” 2?5 “(92E H2D 9:D >6?E2= DE2E6n” qFE ?@ @?6 2D<65 E96 >@DE 32D:4 BF6DE:@? — “(92E >2<6D 2?J A6CD@? 36=:6G6 E92E 96^D96 92D E96 C:89E E@ E2<6 2?@E96C =:76n” WqJ 8F? @C 2?J @E96C >62?D]X x7 E9:D BF6DE:@? 8@6D F?2?DH6C65[ @FC 49:=5C6? H:== 36 D=2F89E6C65 3J E96 =@DD @7 >@C2=:EJ]k^Am
kAmx 5@?’E <?@H :7 tC36 :D C:89E :? 96C 2DD6CE:@? E92E E96C6 2C6 76H6C r9C:DE:2?D :? E96 &]$] E@52J E92? 367@C6] x 5@?’E <?@H :7 :E :D 2 AC@3=6> @7 ?F>36CD @C 2A2E9J @? E96 A2CE @7 v@5’D A6@A=6 E92E 92D =65 E@ E96 =@DD @7 E96 r9C:DE:2? G@:46 :? E9:D ?2E:@?] qFE x 5@ <?@H H92E E96 C2>:7:42E:@?D @7 E62C:?8 5@H? E9:D 76?46 2C6 — E96 56DECF4E:@? @7 :??@46?46 2?5 E96 AC6G2=6?46 @7 6G:=]k^Am
kAm|2? =67E H:E9 23D@=FE6 7C665@>[ H:E9 ?@ 76?46 E@ C6DEC2:? 9:>[ 92D E96 42A24:EJ 7@C 2== <:?5D @7 6G:=] r9C:DE:2?D 2C6 ?@E A6C764E] x <?@H E92E x 46CE2:?=J 2> ?@E] qFE H6 36=:6G6 E92E E96C6 :D @?6 23D@=FE6 :? E96 D9:7E:?8 D62D @7 C6=2E:G:D>[ @?6 H9@ EC2?D46?5D E:>6D[ 86?6C2E:@?D[ 2?5 36=:67D — v@5[ C6G62=65 :? E96 A6CD@? @7 y6DFD r9C:DE] p== >@C2=:EJ :D 56C:G65 7C@> w:>[ E96C67@C6 w6 :D E96 76?46 E92E C6DEC2:?D FD]k^Am
kAm%@ tC36 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ D92C6 96C G:6HD[ x H@F=5 @?=J D2J[ “q6 42C67F= H92E J@F 2D< 7@C]” x7 J@F H2?E >2? F?C6DEC2:?65 3J 2 >@C2= 23D@=FE6[ 5@ ?@E H@?56C H9J F?DA62<23=6 6G:= :D E96 C6DF=E]k^Am