This was as revolutionary a concept as the Declaration of Independence, for all European states of that time had an established religion, whether it be Catholic or Protestant. Also many of the American colonies which became the new states, up to that time had established churches, e.g. the Congregational Church in Connecticut and Massachusetts and the Anglican Church in Virginia. But as far as the federal government was concerned there could be no such establishment or impediment to the free exercise of religion by Congress.

Thomas Jefferson maintained that God restrained himself from coercing either the bodies or the minds of men and women. Therefore how utterly absurd it must be for fallible and uninspired men to assume dominion over the faith of others. Above all else we must have the confidence, the courage, to affirm "that truth is great and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict... errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them."

It is only those who are frightened of freedom to think, or to speak, or to pray, or to preach, or to write, who will seek to suppress those who hold different opinions to their own. Winston Churchill, in a broadcast to the Unites States on October 16, 1938 said, "They [the dictators] are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home - all the more powerful because forbidden - terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic."

Religious liberty, freedom of religion, along with freedom of speech and the press, is one of the greatest needs in this world. Imagine what the world would be like if there were such freedom? So much of the evil in the world is the result of the absence of such freedom. Governments want to control religion, and favor their own beliefs, in order to exercise maximum influence over the minds of their citizens.

Christianity is characterized by such freedom. St. Paul wrote to the Galatians: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1) The Christian life is a life of freedom from all that would keep us from life in all its fullness which Christ came to bring. Christian freedom is a freedom of conscience, freedom from trying to live up to the law. It is the freedom of acceptance with God and of access to God through Christ. This freedom cannot be taken away by civil authorities.

To those who claimed they believed in him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free....if the Son sets you free from sin, you will be free indeed." (John 8:31-36) Yet, those who opposed him tried to kill him, and eventually they succeeded. Those who discover the truth of the Gospel are set free, they are liberated from all that keeps them from the light and love of God. They must share that good news with others not matter what the authorities may say.

When the apostles came before the Sanhedrin, the full assembly of the elders of Israel, and were given strict orders not to speak in the name of Jesus, they replied, "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29) They and their successors went on to continue to speak in the name of Jesus on the pain of martyrdom. Christians are still doing so in societies where there is little freedom of religion.

Most persecution of Christians springs from one of three causes. First is the hunger for total political control, exhibited by the Communist regimes of China, Vietnam, Laos, Cuba, North Korea, and the post-Communist regimes of the former Soviet Union (all the –stans). The second is the desire by some to preserve Hindu or Buddhist privilege, as is evident in South Asia. The third is radical Islam's urge for religious dominance, which at present is generating an expanding global crisis. The Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom (www.crf.hudson.org) has sponsored the publication of Persecution: The Global Assault on Christians by Paul Marshall, Lela Gilbert and Nine Shea, Thomas Nelson 2013. While we enjoy the numerous blessings of religious freedom most of the world's Christians don't share these circumstances. Christians are the single most widely persecuted religious group in the world today. This persecution is targeted at all Christian faith traditions. Persecution can be government sponsored as a matter of policy or practice, as in North Korea, Vietnam, China, Burma, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. It can be the result of hostility with the society and carried out by extremists and vigilantes who operate with impunity or are beyond government's capacity to control. That is the situation today in Nigeria and Iraq. It can also be carried out by terrorist groups exerting control over territories, such as the Al-Shabab in Somalia and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Or it can come from the hands of combined and even conflicting powers, as in Egypt and Pakistan. We now face a global crisis in religious liberty. The perilous situation of Christians in the Middle East is all but ignored by our political leaders so as not to offend Muslim sensibilities or give the impression that they are favoring one group over another. In fact they are more concerned with avoiding discrimination against Muslims than they are of protecting Christians. We should be standing up for foreign policies that help alleviate and end religious persecution abroad.

Because freedom of religion and freedom of speech is so precious we should never take it for granted or fail to use it. We are called by God to witness to our faith, and not be intimidated by those who would oppose us. St. John was given a vision of those who were slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained They cried out for vindication. "They were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed" (Revelation 6:9-11).

We are called to witness to the Gospel of freedom in Christ. We have a testimony to maintain in our day, to our contemporaries. "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (1 Peter 3:15-16)

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