The Wilson Quarterly has a great article on
the intersection of religious faith and liberal values. Even John Rawls, a
philosopher I have a lot of issues with seems to find that a religious basis for a
belief in individual liberty is perfectly acceptable in a free and just society.
This article really demolishes the notion that people like John Ashcroft want to
shred the Constitution just because they have a strong sense of religious faith.
The United States was founded on a basis that the rights enumerated in the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights are given not by any secular authority, but only
by God. For the Founders the phrase "God-given rights" was no mere
hyperbole. One can profess a belief in God in government without violating
freedom. Political figures who openly and bluntly express religious beliefs are
not raving Inquisitors waiting to enslave those with other opinion. Unfortunately,
too few people are able to grasp this concept, and have attempted to undermine
the faith in a higher power which is the foundation of this republic.
