The Table Briefing
Religious Liberty In A Pluralistic Society
By Darrell L. Bock and Mikel Del Rosario
Format: PDF
Source: Bibliotheca sacra, 172 (October-December 2015): 470-81
This peer-reviewed article is part of The Table Briefing series. ©2015 by Dallas Theological Seminary. Used by permission.
Introduction
The value society places on religious liberty suggests the value a society places on liberty in general. Even in a pluralistic society, it seems that the freedom to exercise one’s religious convictions and conscience must be legally valued in order to maintain a free society where a diverse population can work together for the common good. But what is religious liberty? How does religious freedom relate to the non-religious? Furthermore, how does the law allow citizens to live out their beliefs about matters of conscience in a pluralistic society?
At the Hendricks Center, Liberty Institute President and CEO Kelly Shackelford and General Counsel Jeff Mateer joined Darrell Bock to discuss recent legal cases and the importance of religious liberty in a pluralistic society. This article highlights three key points made during these conversations:
First, religious liberty is a civil right ultimately derived from God. Second, religious liberty upholds the freedom of conscience enjoyed by both religious and non-religious people. Third, the law must find a way to balance the compelling interests of the state with the sincerely held religious beliefs of a diverse population. [Download the full-length article]
See why religious freedom should matter to absolutely everyone. Download 'Religious Liberty In A Pluralistic Society'Click To Tweet