Key moments that shaped religious freedom in U.S.
What's missing?
Quaker Martyrs
In Puritan New England, to be a Quaker was a crime punishable by death.
Mary Dyer, a Quaker, is shown here walking to her own execution, which took place on the Boston Common on June 1, 1660.
Drummers played to drown out her words in case she tried to speak to the audience. A local minister urged her, "Repent, Mary Dyer...Repent!" Reportedly she responded, "Nay, man, I am not now to repent. I do only what the Lord God requires of me. Do not mourn of my passing, for I am filled with happiness."
Comments (2)
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The fact is that belief, or non-belief, in certain life principles does shape a culture; and people know this, almost instinctively. Most high religious belief systems are oriented to "incarnating" their principles, whether they be Mormons, Christians, Communists, Humanists, Atheists - everyone who has formative beliefs/philosophies they believe is best suited to build a viable culture.
What we are seeing today is the rapid and ubiquitous presence of all belief systems everywhere; through the internet, travel, emigration/immigration, etc. Consequently, the battles/confrontations between belief systems are no longer geographical, like the used to be; but are more and more universal in scope. This inevitably produces more open conflict.
The pressing task for us all at this moment in history is to acknowledge that debate and discussion CAN take place peacefully between all belief/non-belief systems. But the stakes are seen as too high for slow and civil dialogue. And so Islamic radicals want to press for the kill, as it were, and take the world for the prophet yesterday. The same wiht Communism's attempt to take over the earth.
The battles between Christianity and atheistic humanism will certainly continue, because they are diametrically opposite worldviews and belief systems. But let us all resolve that the battle will be non-violent, and civil, so that we will be around to reap the benefits of the outcome.
Jesus did not inaugurate a worldly army to conquer target peoples, but rather charged a small band of Gospel preachers to share the Good News of redemption, righteousness. love, and peace by the spoken Word - the sword of the Spirit. Too bad some miscontrued Him and chose the path of violence. Too bad Mohammend, the founder of Islam, began a precedent that continues to the present, as the next blog shows.
Posted on February 18, 2008 7:42 PM
what about the Enlightenment ideals on which this nation was founded! didn't you forget to mention a little thing called the 1st amendment?
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
there's a defining moment in religious freedom for you.
all the rest, as they say, is history...
Posted on February 22, 2008 8:35 PM