On our 250th anniversary, many are questioning the future of our freedoms. Religious liberty is particularly fragile. The Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty has just issued its draft report, where it recommends removing the wall between church and state and replacing it with a bridge. The Commission says separation of church and state was never in the Constitution and was an invention by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptist Church, resurrected by a racist Supreme Court Justice in 1947, influenced by higher criticism.
What is anyone doing about this? Dr. Ben Carson was on the commission, and instead of pointing out how important separation of church and state was to our founding fathers—Madison, Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Roger Williams, to name a few— he has become a supporter of the commission’s view.
Why is that? Does he not know our history? Or the history of America? Maybe it is because our very own PARL department has been silent in this time of gathering storm clouds. Maybe it is because PARL has been more engaged in ecumenical discussions while adopting a globalist view of liberties, which if you read the UN documents closely aren’t liberties at all.
While all of the religious liberty advocates seem to be lining up either as Christian nationalists or joining with secular atheists there is a new, Seventh-Day Adventist organization stepping up to the challenges we face today.
Pillar of Freedom, led by Jonathan Zirkle, launched its webpage yesterday. While still small, it addresses the critical issue for the next two weeks—responding to the Commission’s report. There is a small window of opportunity, where anyone can email the Department of Justice with your concerns and objections to the report.
On the webpage, you will find a guide for how you can respond effectively to the commissions assertion that separation of church and state is (or should be) a myth. Watch the webpage and you will also see examples of effective responses. Send your response and Pillar of Freedom might post it there for others to see and gain inspiration.
Responses to administrative reports are usually dry legal documents, with maybe few lively public comments. We have an opportunity to get the government’s attention by giving them MANY responses. MANY. They will not expect that. It will get their attention, and it is a way of planting your flag for all the world to see that you know what religious liberty is, and that you wish to protect it.
You only have until July 13 to respond. It only takes a simple email. Go to pillaroffreedom.org. Download the guide, sign up for their email list, and consider giving a small donation of encouragement. And please, tell a friend. The more responses we can send to the Commission, the more powerful our argument will be. As Benjamin Franklin said, “We can all hang together or we can hang separately.”
Let us pray that Pillar of Freedom can become the voice of Seventh-Day Adventist advocacy, where our PARL department could use a little help.
****
