I believe in religious liberty.

I don’t just believe in religious liberty for Christians.  I believe in religious liberty for all people.

So I am deeply frustrated when politicians make statements that indicate that they don’t understand religious liberty.  I’m offended when candidates say they want to refuse to accept immigrants of a particular religious persuasion.  I understand the necessity of stopping terrorists from reaching our country; that’s a goal I highly commend and support.  But barring all people of a religious group simply because they are a member of a religious group is a violation of religious liberty and cannot be supported by those of us who believe strongly in religious liberty.

I am saddened when a candidate (and one who has loudly proclaimed his faith) says that we should “empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods.”  We should do all we can to stop terrorism, but paying particular attention to a neighborhood simply because it has a large percentage of Muslims is a violation of religious liberty and cannot be supported by those of us who believe strongly in religious liberty.

Does a neighborhood have a large concentration of criminal activity?  Then by all means pay close attention to that neighborhood.  Does a neighborhood have a large concentration of terrorist activity?   Obviously, that neighborhood should get extra law enforcement attention.  Does a neighborhood have a large concentration of threats, terrorist recruitment centers, bomb-making, or plots?  Then pay extremely close attention to that neighborhood.

But religious liberty means that we cannot infringe on anyone’s freedom or “secure” a neighborhood simply because of their religion.

It is often forgotten that early Baptists in America fought hard for religious liberty for all people, and Baptists were insistent that the Bill of Rights include a strong statement on religious liberty.  And Baptists didn’t just fight for the rights of Baptists or just for Christians.  We insisted on religious liberty for all.  John Leland, for example, a leading Baptist preacher during the constitutional era, said, “The notion of a Christian commonwealth should be exploded forever . . . Governments should protect every man in thinking and speaking freely . . . The liberty I contend for is more than toleration.  The very idea of toleration is despicable; it supposes that some have a pre-eminence above the rest to grant indulgence, whereas all should be equally free, Jews, Turks, Pagans, and Christians.”

John Leland was a strong believer in Jesus and He preached Jesus constantly.  But at the same time he preached that every man, including Turks (Muslims) and Jews and even Pagans, should have full freedom to think and speak and that government should protect that right.

I will continue to preach Jesus with all of my heart and might, but I expect no legal advantage over any other group in doing so.  Muslims have the right to live in full liberty while they preach their religion, as do Jews, “pagans,” and even those who espouse no religion at all.  And we have no right to limit the freedom or the rights of anyone simply because of their religious persuasion.

I am not saying that I believe all religions are equally valid.  I believe that Jesus “is the way, the truth, and the life” and that He is the only way to God.  But I am saying that I want no preferential treatment when I claim this nor do I want to limit the freedom of any other group that preaches anything else.  I will rely upon speaking the truth and on the power of the Holy Spirit to be at work.  I need no other advantage.

I believe in the long-held ideal of “a free church in a free state.”  And I encourage candidates for office and for voters to insist on this ideal and insist on real religious liberty.

When I say I believe in religious liberty, I am voicing a belief in religious liberty for all.  It’s not just for Christians or for evangelicals or for Baptists.  If we reduce religious liberty for some groups, then we don’t really believe in religious liberty at all.

We can’t back down from our belief in religious liberty for any reason.

I understand that strong anti-Muslim statements by candidates are highly applauded in today’s political climate.  I understand the fear that terrorism has brought to today’s world.  I understand the frustration that Americans feel over an ineffective and inconsistent immigration policy.

But we can’t allow ourselves to be caught up in the fear or the political propaganda or the frustration of the moment.  Religious liberty is too important to back down for any reason.

Unless religious liberty is for all people, it isn’t really religious liberty at all.