{"id":46044,"date":"2023-06-30T07:44:42","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T12:44:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/?p=46044"},"modified":"2023-06-27T09:50:16","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T14:50:16","slug":"article-xvii-of-bfm-religious-liberty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mbcpathway.com\/2023\/06\/30\/article-xvii-of-bfm-religious-liberty\/","title":{"rendered":"Article XVII of BF&M: Religious Liberty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following is another in a series of columns on The Baptist Faith & Message 2000.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Article XVII of The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 reads:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGod alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. Civil government being ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel of Christ contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal, and this implies the right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all men, and the right to form and propagate opinions in the sphere of religion without interference by the civil power.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Religious liberty is the God-given right of all people to worship according to their consciences. As Herschel Hobbs notes, \u201cReligious liberty is the mother of all true freedom. It is rooted in the very nature of both God and man created in God\u2019s likeness. It implies the competency of the soul in religion, and denies to any person, civil government, or religious system the right to come between God and man.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Practically speaking, religious liberty means equality before the law for Christians and non-Christians alike. It means the freedom to worship God, or not to worship God. If our creator does not compel us to acknowledge him in this life, no human being should force another to adopt any belief system, no matter how true or widely held. <\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, the Bible is clear that our beliefs have consequences \u2013 in this life and in the life to come. One day, all people will stand before God and give an account of our lives \u2013 not just what we believed, but how we acted on those beliefs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That means religious liberty is neither a license to live recklessly, with no regard for others, nor is it merely toleration of those who believe differently. Religious liberty does not stand on political platforms or hang from legal pillars. While civil authorities may proclaim religious tolerance, only God may grant religious freedom. <\/span><\/p>\n

Liberty and lordship<\/span><\/h3>\n

True liberty is grounded in the lordship of Christ. As Jesus tells the religious leaders who oppose him, \u201cSo if the Son sets you free, you really will be free\u201d (John 8:36). Paul picks up on this in Romans 8:1-2: \u201cTherefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While Christ sets us free, we are to exercise our freedom under the sovereign guidance of the Holy Spirit and according to biblical principles. Therefore, when human commandments run contrary to God\u2019s expressed will in Scripture, Christians should obey God (Acts 4:18-20).<\/span><\/p>\n

The New Testament writers instruct us to respect those in authority over us. We are to pray for our leaders (1 Tim. 2:1-2), honor them (1 Pet. 2:13-17), and submit to their authority (Rom. 13:1-7).<\/span><\/p>\n

However, when people in authority command Christians to do something God forbids, or forbid us from doing something God commands, we may rightly respond, as Peter tells the high priest who wants to silence him, \u201cWe must obey God rather than people\u201d (Acts 5:29). <\/span><\/p>\n

Boundaries between
\nchurch and state<\/span><\/h3>\n

Christ sets the boundaries between church and state. He makes this clear when the religious elite press him to decide between allegiance to Rome and the Jewish faith: \u201cGive, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar\u2019s, and to God the things that are God\u2019s\u201d (Matt. 22:21).<\/span><\/p>\n

This doesn\u2019t mean there are no grounds for relationships between religious organizations and civil authorities. Jesus acknowledged the rights and responsibilities of the state (Matt. 22:15-21). First-century Christians benefited from the Roman Empire\u2019s roads, aqueducts, and other infrastructure. At times, they appealed to Rome for protection. And both Paul and Peter instructed their readers to submit to the state\u2019s authority (Rom. 13:1-8; 1 Pet. 2:12-17).<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, federal, state, and local authorities support an atmosphere in which the church can thrive, providing fire and police protection, national defense, and social stability. In turn, the church should produce the kinds of citizens that enhance a free society and improve an oppressive one.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, the church and the state operate in mutually exclusive realms. Neither should seek to control the other to accomplish its goals. Christ has not commanded the church to muster armies or supply power grids, but to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). And the state has no God-given right to leverage the church for political ends, or to favor one religion over another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Separation of church and state does not mean religious beliefs and expressions are to be banned from the public square. Rather, it acknowledges the mutually beneficial coexistence of both church and state, and it recognizes the unique function of both.<\/span><\/p>\n

Baptists have always championed religious liberty. In the U.S., Roger Williams established the colony of Rhode Island with a charter calling for absolute religious liberty. And the insistence of Virginia Baptists that religious liberty be written into our nation\u2019s governing documents contributed to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. <\/span><\/p>\n

Next: Article XVIII of the BF&M: The Family<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Religious liberty is the God-given right of all people to worship according to their consciences. As Herschel Hobbs notes, \u201cReligious liberty is the mother of all true freedom. It is rooted in the very nature of both God and man created in God\u2019s likeness. It implies the competency of the soul in religion, and denies to any person, civil government, or religious system the right to come between God and man.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":43794,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_wpscp_schedule_draft_date":"","_wpscp_schedule_republish_date":"","_wpscppro_advance_schedule":false,"_wpscppro_advance_schedule_date":"","_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_selected_social_profile":[]},"categories":[177,35,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nArticle XVII of BF&M: Religious Liberty<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Religious liberty is the God-given right of all people to worship according to their consciences. 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