By Ed Stetzer | December 30, 2015
(RNS) Americans are overwhelmingly concerned about religious liberty — that’s good. What’s troubling, but perhaps not surprising, is that they are less enthusiastic about those liberties for some religions.
According to a recent poll by The Associated Press and the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center, 82 percent said religious liberty protections were important for Christians, compared with around 60 percent who said the same for Muslims and the religiously unaffiliated.
Yet, religious freedom is not merely an important issue — it is our “first freedom.” What Americans, especially Christian Americans, must understand is this: Religious freedom for some is not religious freedom for long.
LifeWay Research data might help explain the lower enthusiasm for the religious freedom of Muslims. About 40 percent of Americans believe Muslims are a threat to religious liberty. However, that does not explain why Mormons, who are not seen as a threat to religious liberty, get lower favorable responses in polls.
Partly, it may be that religious freedom means different things to different people. Another reason may be that these faiths are smaller and less mainstream.
Yet, we must be clear about religious freedom, its definition and value to our nation. Regardless of people’s faith, or lack thereof, it is important for Christians, Hindus, atheists, Muslims and everyone in between to work for religious freedom for all.
So, what do we mean when we talk about religious liberty?
Categories: CHRISTIANITY, Christianity, Church, Religions, Religious persecution, Religious Values, The Muslim Times