I see three possibilities in America:
1. There are none. Each should be able to do whatever their religion or worldview suggests. This would mean that honor killings by Muslims, polygamy by certain Mormons, and all sorts of other things must be allowed. People cannot be held responsible to anyone other than their own religion and its God.
2. Your religious freedom extends until you infringe on another’s freedom of the same. This is one of the things children are taught about American freedom in other spheres. This idea though requires additional discussion. Can a father infringe on the rights of his children? Can a boss infringe on the rights of their employees? Can a teacher infringe on the rights of their students? Are there any exceptions or is each person an autonomous entity which must never be compelled to do anything they are set against because of their beliefs.
3. The limits are what Lutherans would call natural law. You have the freedom to do whatever you want in your religion so long as natural law in respected. You must honor authority, not kill, honor marriage between one man and one woman, not steal, not destroy the reputation of other.
The third option is surely what the framers of the constitution assumed. I am not sure whether the thought about it or not, but they assumed it. Let’s be honest, when they spoke about freedom of religion, there minds thought about the ability of different Christian denominations to live with each other in peace. They assumed a group of people that while having different theologies shared a common assumptions about morality.
At the risk of being judged treasonous by my fellow citizens. I am starting to wonder if our constitution is able to handle a truly pluralistic society, particularly one in which the tenets of natural law are undermined widely by many citizens. If natural law is not recognized, there either are no limits of religious liberty or the idea of religious liberty must be done way with all together.
This leads me to believe that we should as much time training our people to stand firm in the face of persecution as we do defending religious liberty. No doubt, we should try to stall the progress towards our liberties being violated by stating the tenets of natural law boldly. But a country full of people who have pulled a veil over the law written on their hearts, this argument will likely fall flat.
Our constitution was written by those who assumed a shared morality, even by those who did not call themselves Christian. Our country is no populated by many who war against that very idea with all their being. Our constitution and our country may be the great fatality of that war.
But this I know:
The Word they still shall let remain
Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child and wife, (country as well)
Let these all be gone,
They yet have nothing won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
Matthew 16:18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
