Hello my friends!

While my two weeks away were so needed and restful, I have missed our conversations as part of my weekly rhythm. So, I am excited to be back discussing these important topics with you.

In this newsletter, I want to think with you about the messy topic of religious freedom among us Christians in America. How are we called to use such a gift? What scriptures and teachings of Jesus might help us better understand how we are to use such freedom? How should the history of Christianity in our country impact our perspective of religious freedom?

We are going to get into all this together, but before we do, here are some things that have me thinking this week.

Resources To Dig Deeper

-As I have been thinking about Religious Freedom, I have been reminded of Jemar Tisby's "The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism." If you haven't read this short, powerful book, I would highly encourage you to do so. In it, Jemar Tisby reveals the obvious - and the far more subtle - ways the American church has compromised what the Bible teaches about human dignity and equality.

-Another book I have been reflecting on that should inform our thinking on this topic is "Unsettling Truths: The Ongoing, Dehumanizing Legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery," by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah. In this powerful book, these authors reveal the far-reaching, damaging effects of the "Doctrine of Discovery." In the fifteenth century, official church edicts gave Christian explorers the right to claim territories they "discovered." This was institutionalized as an implicit national framework that justifies American triumphalism, white supremacy, and ongoing injustices. The result is that the dominant culture idealizes a history of discovery, opportunity, expansion, and equality, while minority communities have been traumatized by colonization, slavery, segregation, and dehumanization. Healing begins when deeply entrenched beliefs are unsettled,

-I am also currently reading "Poverty, by America" by acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond. The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why? Why does this land of plenty allow one in every eight of its children to go without basic necessities, permit scores of its citizens to live and die on the streets, and authorize its corporations to pay poverty wages? To answer this question, he draws on history, research, and original reporting to show how affluent Americans knowingly and unknowingly keep poor people poor.

-The podcast 'Throughline" did a fantastic podcast episode on how Evangelical Christians have engaged American politics in American history. It helps give better context to some of the things we are seeing now. It is called Apocalypse Now.

-An older but important book on this topic you might consider reading is called "A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic," by Stanley Hauerwas. In it, he shows how discussions on the nature of Jesus and the authority of scripture involve questions about what kind of community the church must be to rightly tell the stories of God.

-Lastly, a friend randomly sent me a youtube video this week by a licensed clinical social worker. It is a short video on religious OCD of all things! As one who has struggled with that deeply myself, I thought I would offer it here for anyone else who might be trying to navigate it too. It was helpful to at least put words to what I was experiencing. The video is called: Scrupulosity: What Is Religious OCD? ​

Alright, onto today's content.

How Should American Christians Use Religious Freedom?

Since a recent supreme court decision in late June, which ruled in favor of a web developer refusing to serve same-sex couples on the grounds of her religious beliefs, I have been thinking a lot about religious freedom. Especially about how we Christians in America should participate with such freedom according to scripture and the teachings of Jesus.

By a 6-to-3 vote, the court sided with Lorie Smith, a Colorado web designer who is opposed to same sex marriage. She challenged the state's public accommodations law, claiming that by requiring her to serve everyone equally, the state was unconstitutionally enlisting her in creating a message she opposes.

I was pretty jarred by that last sentence: “claiming that by requiring her to serve everyone equally, the state was unconstitutionally enlisting her in creating a message she opposes.” It is rather heartbreaking to have “serving everyone equally” be something a Christian would oppose.

Yet, unequal views on religious freedom within the Christian community seems to be the norm in our culture today, unfortunately.

Now, religious freedom is a messy topic and it has been that way through our nation's history. As this short news clip shows, many people have vastly different opinions on how religious freedom should be defined and used. Yet, I want to focus on how we Christians seem to be using our religious freedom in our present time.

Whether it is Hobby Lobby in 2014 using it to deny full health coverage to its employees because of its religious beliefs on reproduction, Kim Davis who gained international attention in 2015 for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples as a county clerk in Kentucky, a baker who refused to sell a cake to a same-sex couple in 2018, a coach leading Christian prayers on public school grounds in 2022, and now this Colorado web developer, in all these cases, the majority of which succeeded, Christians used their religious freedom to uphold their own interests above the equal treatment of others.

This seems so contrary to who we are called to be as followers of Jesus.

Just imagine what the reaction from the Christian community would be if the roles were reversed in any of these situations. If a corporation refused to give healthcare to its Christian employees because of its differing religious beliefs. If a county clerk refused to give marriage licenses to Christian couples who had been previously divorced because divorce was against their religion. If a Muslim coach was leading prayer every football game on public school grounds. I can’t imagine the support for religious freedom would have been so loudly supported by Christians for cases like these.

There seems to be such a double standard when it comes to religious freedom among Christians in our culture. As if it is unfettered freedom for our religion, but not for others. As if it is only to ensure our religious freedom rather than use it to support and uphold the freedom of others too.

I think that is where I grieve the most over. How this kind of tactic of using religious freedom to put the interests of Christians above the interests of others is not only so damaging to the reputation of our faith, but it is so antithetical to who we are called to be and how we are called to use our freedom in Christ Jesus.

This really got me thinking, how are we called to use our religious freedom in this day and age according to scripture?

We are called to use our freedom to put the interests of others above our own: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” -Philippians 2:3-4

We are called to use our freedom serve one another in humility rather than our own self-interests: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge yourself; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” -Galatians 5:13-14

We are called to use our freedom to care for the most vulnerable among us: “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” -Matthew 25:40

We are called to use our religious freedom in a way we would want others to use their religious freedom towards us: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" -Jesus (Matthew 7:12)

I think the teaching of Jesus that speaks to this topic the most though is actually found in his sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:38-42.

Here is what he says: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

He is speaking directly to his disciples participating with who they consider to be an “evil person.” Let’s look at one verse here specifically. Notice how Jesus says, “if anyone forces you to go one mile” in verse 41?

The word translated as “force” here is a Persian loan word that is a legal term for the Roman practice of requisitioning local goods or labour. Here, it specifically refers to the power of the Romans to demand that a local serve as a guide or to carry the Roman’s heavy load. It was a law of elitism.

Israelite Zealots hated this practice, and their refusal to participate in such tasks was an important part of their philosophy and actually one of the causes of the First Jewish–Roman War, which according to the historian Josephus took over 1 million lives.

Jesus asking his disciples to not only follow this unjust law, but to go the extra mile, is a call to be creative in how they outdo themselves in honor, kindness, and compassion. Rather than responding to this with aggression and coercion, an “eye for an eye,” Jesus says to go above and beyond in charity and service. For at the end of the day, what control does someone really have over someone else who goes above and beyond what is asked of them? Imagine how many relationships were built after Romans asked, “why are you so joyful carrying my luggage?” and they got to tell them about the One who set them truly free? Isn’t friendship the most disarming tool humanity has? Turning an enemy into a friend?

Now, let’s apply this to today’s context. Jesus here is saying, “if someone slaps you, turn the other cheek. If someone sues you for your shirt, give them your coat too. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with them two.” Look at these court cases. It is literally employees just wanting equal healthcare. It is public schools just wanting to maintain freedom for all religions. It is people wanting marriage licenses that are legal in the eyes of the law. It is customers wanting services from a public business. They are all about equal public service. Yet, in all these, we see Christians resisting what they believe to be “evil” rather than not resisting and serving instead, which is what Jesus asks of his disciples.

Rather than seeing Christians “go the extra mile,” our culture is seeing Christians taking their refusal to serve and be inclusive of others all the way to the supreme court, all in the name of following Jesus. It is so antithetical to what Jesus is teaching here in his sermon on the mount.

How can understanding the history of Christianity in our country help with this?

Interestingly, Jesus is teaching here to some of the poorest people in his time. People who were also among a persecuted Jewish minority, whose nation was under Roman rule. I think this explains a lot of what we are seeing in the Christian use of religious freedom in America today. Often, we American Christians will read the New Testament as if we are the persecuted Israelites, when in reality, we have much more in common with the Romans. Christians have been steering the positions of power and authority since the founding of the United States. Especially white, land owning, male, protestant Christians.

White Protestant Christians have been in the positions of privilege and power for the majority of American history and we still are. This is a feature that strikes me as odd in the claims that we are a “Christian nation.” It’s as if we will claim this is a nation founded by Christians and has been run by Christians yet act as if Christians are the most persecuted class of people in our nation’s history. Both cannot be true at the same time. We are not the persecuted class. We are the Romans.

We were the ones who ran the witch trials primarily against women, forced indigenous people off their land, committed genocide against them, enslaved people as an industry and used them to build our own generational wealth, and worked to build a society that prioritized our religion above others. We have been the ones “forcing” others to carry our load and conscript them to do our bidding.

Yet, something like a same sex couple asking for a marriage license from a public institution we work at is treated as the hight of “evil” and an infringement on our “Christian values.” There’s no thought given to what going the “extra mile” would look like in this situation. Just a stanch refusal to do anything. That is what it looks like when Romans don’t know that they are Romans and instead think they are the persecuted Israelites.

Now keep in mind, there were many Christians throughout American history who staunchly opposed using power in these horrible ways I mentioned above. Christians who opposed child labor, fought for equal rights for women, opposed the mistreatment of indigenous people, and fought to abolish slavery. These great things are often focused on though to the neglect of seeing how Christians have also held the positions of power that implemented these evils as well.

White Protestant Christians have always been the most free people in the United States. Yet, a false persecution narrative persists that we are somehow the most oppressed. A narrative that politicians gladly take advantage of every election cycle to garner Christian support. Stoking the fires of a culture war, rather than stoking our compassion and desire for equal freedom for all, not just for us.

When we Christians don’t understand our place in history, it will directly impact how we define our religious freedom today. If we were the religious minority and held very little power in our culture, as Christians do in other parts of the world, this conversation would be diametrically different. But we are talking about Christianity in the United States of America. We are among the most wealthy and powerful people in one of the wealthiest and powerful nations in the world. This reality needs to inform how we use the freedom we have.

We are not being asked to give up power. We are simply being asked to share power equally with others. Being asked to share power equally with others is not persecution.

Rather than using our freedom to oppose others and protect our own ideological values and our own self interests, I am so compelled by the teachings of Jesus that we are called to use our freedom and privilege, not to “resist” but to go the extra mile in serving and loving others well. We are called to use our freedom to support and expand the freedom of others rather than to deny them. We are called to use our freedom to advocate for others, even if it makes us uncomfortable. Even if it costs us something. For, as we see in Jesus, “who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage,” rather he lowered himself and gave up everything out of love for the world. (Phil 2:6-8) Wouldn’t it be a radical transformation if we Christians in America were seen using our freedom the way Jesus did?

My hope is that we Christians collectively begin to seriously reimagine what religious freedom means for us.

Now I’d like to hear your thoughts. How do you approach this messy topic? Did you find my framing of this topic helpful? Do you have different thoughts from what I expressed here? I’d love to hear them. Respond to this email and let me know.

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I look forward to hearing from you! As always, thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

Ben​

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