An excellent post from The First Freedom Project:
Religious freedom is a cornerstone of the American experience.
This is so obvious that once upon a time nobody needed to say it, [Philadelphia’s Archbishop Charles] Chaput noted, but times have changed.
“It’s worth recalling that Madison, Adams, Washington, Hamilton, Franklin, Jefferson–in fact, nearly all the American founders–saw religious faith as vital to the life of a free people,” he said. “Liberty and happiness grow organically out of virtue. And virtue needs grounding in religious faith.”
Freedom of religion is more than freedom of worship.
The right to worship is a necessary but not sufficient part of religious liberty, Chaput warned. Christian faith requires community that may begin in worship but which also demands preaching, teaching, and service.
