Last month the Deseret News ran the following opinion piece titled, “Is religion special?” by Michael W. McConnell, a Stanford Law Professor and former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit:
The framers of our Bill of Rights thought that religious freedom deserved double-barreled protection. Americans would have the right of "free exercise" of their chosen faith, and government was forbidden to foster or control religion by means of an "establishment of religion." Today, an increasing number of scholars and activists say that religion is not so special after all. Churches are just another charity, faith is just another ideology and worship is just another weekend activity.
All Americans — believers and nonbelievers alike — should resist this argument because our society would be less free if it were adopted.
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To believers, the right to worship God in accordance with conscience is the most important of our rights. To nonbelievers, it is scarcely less important to be free of governmental imposition of a religion they do not accept.
And as we know from the sad history of early modern Europe … a guarantee that the government will not wield its sword in favor of particular religious sects is fundamental to civic peace, as well as spiritual liberty.