Rev. David Holwick
Ledgewood Baptist Church
Baptist Distinctive #6
BAPTIST DISTINCTIVE #6: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
I. Separation of Church and State.
A. All people should be free to worship as they choose.
1) No one can force a person to believe. John 1:12
2) This doesn't mean that they will chose the right way, but
that coercing them will always result in the wrong way.
B. Governments should not encourage or restrict religion, but let
it operate on its own.
1) When government meddles in religion, both suffer.
a) The "Holy Roman Empire" shows the dangers of combining religion and politics.
b) Historically, government intrusion has been harder on minority faiths like
Baptists. Esther 3:1-6; Daniel 3:10-12; Acts 4:18
2) Early American Baptists were important in getting the First
Amendment and "freedom of religion" in the Constitution.
C. Questions to think about:
1) Should America be considered a "Christian nation"?
2) Should school prayers be allowed?
3) Should churches pay taxes like everyone else?
4) Are national days of prayer legitimate?
5) Should our money say, "In God we trust"?
6) Should Moonies be allowed to put a church in Ledgewood?
II. Soul Freedom of individuals within the church.
A. Christians must be free to find God as he reveals himself to them.
1) Even the best Christian has only a partial view of God.
a) We are corrupted by sin like everyone else.
b) Therefore we can be wrong in our doctrine.
2) Comment by early American Puritan, Thomas Hooker:
"We doubt not what we practice. But it is beyond all doubt that all men are
liars and we are in the company of these poor feeble men. Either we do or may
make mistakes, though we do not know it. What we have learned we do profess,
and yet profess still to live that we may learn."
B. Religious freedom is a political freedom, a freedom from any compulsion by the
state in matters of religion. It is not an unlimited freedom within the
church. To hold otherwise, would be for a church to forsake its duty of
obedience and to drift into indifference.
1) Basic Christian truths must be accepted.
2) It is important to have and stress religious convictions.
C. Questions:
1) If someone in our church had doubts that Jesus is divine, should they be
allowed to remain a member?
2) If someone who wanted to join our church thought some parts of the Bible were
fables, should they be allowed to become a member?
3) Which beliefs should we exclude?
4) Which beliefs should we allow?
