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To worship God according to
conscience and to share Christ’s love are
cherished freedoms not universally enjoyed. The
government of God is based on freedom of choice.
God chose to create humanity also with the power
of choice. “See, I have set before thee this
day life and good, and death and evil . . . blessing
and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou
and thy seed may live” (Deut 30:15, 19).
Free exercise of religion is like a fragile flower;
it must receive the most vigorous protection possible
and the most gentle care to be found. Within it,
freedom of conscience thrives or is throttled.
Revelation 13 points to a political power that will
arise in the last days causing people to “worship”
another religion-political power. Religion and politics
are symbolized in Revelation 17 by an apostate church
being sustained by the government. The persecuting
power of this union of church and state is illustrated
by the woman who becomes drunk with the blood of
the saints.
What, then, are we to do about threats to religious
freedom? Ellen White says, “It is our> duty
to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger.
We should endeavor to disarm prejudice by placing
ourselves in a proper light before the people. We
should bring before them the real question at issue,
thus interposing the most effectual protest against
measures to restrict liberty of conscience”
(Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 452). |
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| Declaration of Principles
The God-given right of religious liberty is
best exercised when church and state are separate.
Government is God's agency to protect individual
rights and to conduct civil affairs; in exercising
these responsibilities, officials are entitled
to respect and cooperation.
Religious liberty entails freedom of conscience:
to worship or not to worship; to profess, practice,
and promulgate religious beliefs, or to change
them. In exercising these rights, however, one
must respect the equivalent rights of all others.
Attempts to unite church and state are opposed
to the interests of each, subversive of human
rights, and potentially persecuting in character;
to oppose union, lawfully and honorably, is not
only the citizen's duty but the essence of the
golden rule-to treat others as one wishes to
be treated.
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Department's
Mission
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| 3743 Bronxwood Avenue • Bronx,
NY 10467 • (718) 882-4907
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