Truth and Tolerance in America.docx

Truth and Tolerance in America.docx

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TruthandToleranceinAmerica

TruthandToleranceinAmerica

thankyouverymuchprofessorkombayforthatgenerousintroduction.andletmesay,thatineverexpectedtohearsuchkindwordsfromdr.falwell.soinreturn,ihaveaninvitationofmyown.onjanuary20th,1985,ihopedr.falwellwillsayaprayerattheinaugurationofthenextdemocraticpresidentoftheunitedstates.now,dr.falwell,i¡¯mnotexactlysurehowyoufeelaboutthat.youmightnotappreciatethepresident,butthedemocratscertainlywouldappreciatetheprayer.

actually,anumberofpeopleinwashingtonweresurprisedthatiwasinvitedtospeakhere--andevenmoresurprisedwheniacceptedtheinvitation.theyseemtothinkthatit¡¯seasierforacameltopassthroughtheeyeoftheneedlethanforakennedytocometothecampusoflibertybaptistcollege.inhonorofourmeeting,ihaveaskeddr.falwell,asyourchancellor,topermitallthestudentsanextrahournextsaturdaynightbeforecurfew.andinreturn,ihavepromisedtowatchtheoldtimegospelhournextsundaymorning.

irealizethatmyvisitmaybealittlecontroversial.butasmanyofyouhaveheard,dr.falwellrecentlysentmeamembershipinthemoralmajority--andididn'tevenapplyforit.andiwonderifthatmeansthati'mamemberingoodstanding.

[falwell:

somewhat]

somewhat,hesays.

thisis,ofcourse,anonpoliticalspeechwhichisprobablybestunderthecircumstances.sinceiamnotacandidateforpresident,itwouldcertainlybeinappropriatetoaskforyoursupportinthiselectionandprobablyinaccuratetothankyouforitinthelastone.

ihavecomeheretodiscussmybeliefsaboutfaithandcountry,toleranceandtruthinamerica.iknowwebeginwithcertaindisagreements;istronglysuspectthatattheendoftheeveningsomeofourdisagreementswillremain.butialsohopethattonightandinthemonthsandyearsahead,wewillalwaysrespecttherightofotherstodiffer,thatwewillneverlosesightofourownfallibility,thatwewillviewourselveswithasenseofperspectiveandasenseofhumor.afterall,inthenewtestament,eventhediscipleshadtobetaughttolookfirsttothebeamintheirowneyes,andonlythentothemoteintheirneighbor¡¯seyes.

iammindfulofthatcounsel.iamanamericanandacatholic;ilovemycountryandtreasuremyfaith.butidonotassumethatmyconceptionofpatriotismorpolicyisinvariablycorrect,orthatmyconvictionsaboutreligionshouldcommandanygreaterrespectthananyotherfaithinthispluralisticsociety.ibelievetheresurelyissuchathingastruth,butwhoamonguscanclaimamonopolyonit?

therearethosewhodo,andtheirownwordstestifytotheirintolerance.forexample,becausethemoralmajorityhasworkedwithmembersofdifferentdenomination,onefundamentalistgrouphasdenounceddr.[jerry]falwellforhasteningtheecumenicalchurchandfor¡°yokingtogetherwithromancatholics,mormons,andothers.¡±iamrelievedthatdr.falwelldoesnotregardthatasasin,andonthisissue,hehimselfhasbecomethetargetofnarrowprejudice.whenpeopleagreeonpublicpolicy,theyoughttobeabletoworktogether,evenwhiletheyworshipindiverseways.fortrulyweareallyokedtogetherasamericans,andtheyokeisthehappyoneofindividualfreedomandmutualrespect.

butinsayingthat,wecannotandshouldnotturnasidefromadeeperandmorepressingquestion--whichiswhetherandhowreligionshouldinfluencegovernment.agenerationago,apresidentialcandidatehadtoprovehisindependenceofunduereligiousinfluenceinpubliclife,andhehadtodosopartlyattheinsistenceofevangelicalprotestants.johnkennedysaidatthattime:

¡°ibelieveinanamericawherethereisnoreligiousblocvotingofanykind.¡±onlytwentyyearslater,anothercandidatewasappealingtoa[n]evangelicalmeetingasareligiousbloc.ronaldreagansaidto15thousandevangelicalsattheroundtableindallas:

¡°iknowthatyoucan¡¯tendorseme.iwantyoutoknowiendorseyouandwhatyouaredoing.¡±

tomanyamericans,thatpledgewasasignandasymbolofadangerousbreakdownintheseparationofchurchandstate.yetthisprinciple,asvitalasitis,isnotasimplisticandrigidcommand.separationofchurchandstatecannotmeananabsoluteseparationbetweenmoralprinciplesandpoliticalpower.thechallengetodayistorecalltheoriginoftheprinciple,todefineitspurpose,andrefineitsapplicationtothepoliticsofthepresent.

thefoundersofournationhadlongandbitterexperiencewiththestate,asboththeagentandtheadversaryofparticularreligiousviews.incolonialmaryland,catholicspaidadoublelandtax,andinpennsylvaniatheyhadtolisttheirnamesonapublicroll--anominousprecursorofthefirstnazilawsagainstthejews.andjewsinturnfaceddiscriminationinallofthethirteenoriginalcolonies.massachusettsexiledrogerwilliamsandhiscongregationforcontendingthatcivilgovernmenthadnorighttoenforcethetencommandments.virginiaharassedbaptistteachers,andalsoestablishedareligioustestforpublicservice,writingintothelawthatno¡°popishfollowers¡±couldholdanyoffice.

butduringtherevolution,catholics,jews,andnon-conformistsallralliedtothecauseandfoughtvaliantlyfortheamericancommonwealth--forjohnwinthrop¡¯s¡°cityuponahill.¡±afterwards,whentheconstitutionwasratifiedandthenamended,theframersgavefreedomforallreligion,andfromanyestablishedreligion,theveryfirstplaceinthebillofrights.

indeedtheframersthemselvesprofessedverydifferentfaiths:

washingtonwasanepiscopalian,jeffersonadeist,andadamsacalvinist.andalthoughhehadearlieropposedtoleration,johnadamslatercontributedtothebuildingofcatholicchurches,andsodidgeorgewashington.thomasjeffersonsaidhisproudestachievementwasnotthepresidency,orthewritingthedeclarationofindependence,butdraftingthevirginiastatuteofreligiousfreedom.hestatedthevisionofthefirstamericansandthefirstamendmentveryclearly:

¡°thegodwhogaveuslifegaveuslibertyatthesametime.¡±

theseparationofchurchandstatecansometimesbefrustratingforwomenandmenofreligiousfaith.theymaybetemptedtomisusegovernmentinordertoimposeavaluewhichtheycannotpersuadeotherstoaccept.butoncewesuccumbtothattemptation,westepontoaslipperyslopewhereeveryone¡¯sfreedomisatrisk.thosewhofavorcensorshipshouldrecallthatoneofthefirstbookseverburnedwasthefirstenglishtranslationofthebible.aspresidenteisenhowerwarnedin1953,¡°don¡¯tjointhebookburners...therighttosayideas,therighttorecordthem,andtherighttohavethemaccessibletoothersisunquestioned--orthisisn¡¯tamerica.¡±andifthatrightisdenied,atsomefuturedaythetorchcanbeturnedagainstanyotherbookoranyotherbelief.letusneverforget:

today¡¯smoralmajoritycouldbecometomorrow¡¯spersecutedminority.

thedangerisasgreatnowaswhenthefoundersofthenationfirstsawit.in1789,theirfearwasoffactionalstrifeamongdozensofdenominations.todaytherearehundreds--andperhapseventhousandsoffaiths--andmillionsofamericanswhoareoutsideanyfold.pluralismobviouslydoesnotandcannotmeanthatallofthemareright;butitdoesmeanthatthereareareaswheregovernmentcannotandshouldnotdecidewhatitiswrongtobelieve,tothink,toread,andtodo.asprofessorlarrytribe,oneofthenation¡¯sleadingconstitutionalscholarshaswritten,¡°lawinanon-theocraticstatecannotmeasurereligioustruth,norcanthestateimposeit."

therealtransgressionoccurswhenreligionwantsgovernmenttotellcitizenshowtoliveuniquelypersonalpartsoftheirlives.thefailureofprohibitionprovesthefutilityofsuchanattemptwhenamajorityorevenasubstantialminorityhappenstodisagree.somequestionsmaybeinherentlyindividualones,orpeoplemaybesharplydividedaboutwhethertheyare.insuchcases,likeprohibitionandabortion,theproperroleofreligionistoappealtotheconscienceoftheindividual,notthecoercivepowerofthestate.

butthereareotherquestionswhichareinherentlypublicinnature,whichwemustdecidetogetherasanation,andwherereligionandreligiousvaluescanandshouldspeaktoourcommonconscience.theissueofnuclearwarisacompellingexample.itisamoralissue;itwillbedecidedbygovernment,notbyeachindividual;andtogiveanyeffecttothemoralvaluesoftheircreed,peopleoffaithmustspeakdirectlyaboutpublicpolicy.thecatholicbishopsandthereverendbillygrahamhaveeveryrighttostandforthenuclearfreeze,anddr.falwellhaseveryrighttostandagainstit.

theremustbestandardsfortheexerciseofsuchleadership,sothattheobligationsofbeliefwillnotbedebasedintoanopportunityformerepoliticaladvantage.buttotakeastandatallwhenaquestionisbothproperlypublicandtrulymoralistostandinalongandhonoredtradition.manyofthegreatevangelistsofthe1800swereintheforefrontoftheabolitionistmovement.inourowntime,thereverendwilliamsloanecoffinchallengedthemoralityofthewarinvietnam.popejohnxxiiirenewedthegospel¡¯scalltosocialjustice.anddr.martinlutherking,jr.whowasthegreatestprophetofthiscentury,awakenedournationanditsconsciencetotheevilofracialsegregation.

theirwordshaveblessedourworld.andwhonowwishestheyhadbeensilent?

whowouldbidpopejohnpaul[ii]toquiethisvoiceagainsttheoppressionineasterneurope,theviolenceincentralamerica,orthecryingneedsofthelandless,thehungry,andthosewhoaretorturedinsomanyofthedark