Participants: Lincoln Steed (Host), Dwayne Leslie
Series Code: LI
Program Code: LI000151
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00:22 Welcome to the Liberty Insider.
00:25 This is a program that brings you discussion, 00:27 and views, and updates 00:28 and analysis of religious liberty events 00:31 in the United States and around the world. 00:33 My name is, Lincoln Steed, Editor of Liberty Magazine, 00:36 and my guest on the program is Dwayne Leslie. 00:39 Welcome Dwayne, and to identify you, 00:42 you are the religious liberty you are the liaison 00:46 for the Seventh-day Adventist Church to the U.S. Congress. 00:48 That's correct. 00:50 Sunday Laws, that's a really hot topic with some people 00:54 certainly Seventh-day Adventist. 00:56 Now the best way I could have of introducing it 00:58 might be provocative to some, but I remember when the, 01:03 Pope of Rome, visited Ground Zero, had a mass there, 01:08 he was holding the monstrance, 01:11 and I looked at that, 01:13 and I thought for a minute this is amazing. 01:15 Here he is waving in front of everybody, 01:18 the symbol of sun worship. 01:20 Anybody that does their, their study of the origins 01:24 of some of the religious symbols particularly in the, 01:27 Catholic Church, knows where that comes from. 01:29 That was the Obe from P1agan Rome of sun worship. 01:35 Well, Sunday appropriately named as the day of the sun 01:40 and for better or worse 01:41 and we could have another program on it, 01:44 much of the Christian world 01:46 has accepted Sunday not a biblical day, 01:48 but a day that derive from sun worship. 01:51 And Seventh-day Adventist have long believed 01:53 that this is a major in time point of contention 01:58 between those that would follow traditions 02:01 and those that would follow what the Bible actually says 02:04 Saturday, Seventh-day Sabbath. Right. 02:07 And in the defense of the, Pope of Rome, 02:11 there is a document Deus Domine, 02:13 you heard of that document. Yes, I have. 02:14 1996, Rome, is quite upfront 02:18 they say that the Bible does say the Seventh-day Saturday. 02:22 Right. They just say the tradition 02:24 and the assumed authority 02:26 of the early Christian Church changed it. 02:30 Now, when we talk about religious liberty 02:33 whatever the day is whether it's Saturday or Sunday, 02:36 we really can't accept the day is imposed 02:39 on a populous, can we. No, not at all. 02:42 But has that happened before. Well, yeah. 02:45 I'm sorry to ask you too many questions. 02:47 No, but I think 02:48 what's happening is that as we look through history, 02:50 there've been many instances 02:52 where local jurisdictions or countries 02:56 have decided to impose a day of rest, 02:59 which is one step away from day of worship. 03:02 And I think we're seeing that there is a-- 03:04 in the United States in North Dakota, 03:07 they have a Sunday Law 03:08 which they passed many years ago, 03:09 but people have started to talk about it again of late. 03:12 And it's-- these have usually 03:14 gone over the rear break of Blue Laws. Exactly. 03:16 And we've mentioned to our viewers 03:18 those who regularly watch this program, 03:20 now in discussion of this, 03:22 we pointed out that a large number of states 03:25 still have these Blue Laws on their books. Right. 03:27 But generally they're not applied, are they? No. 03:30 And so this is a nominal situation 03:32 where not only has, North Dakota, 03:34 had them here they have passed the new one. 03:37 Right, and I think what the rational 03:41 we're seeing both, North Dakota, 03:42 and other places is that they're not using it 03:45 as a day of worship, but they're just saying 03:47 there is certain value in having society 03:50 take a day apart and rest and not do work and so, 03:54 but to force that they were actually say stores 03:57 can't be opened during that time. 03:59 Now, it's very interesting you probably wouldn't expect 04:03 what I'm about to say, but it seems to me, 04:06 that in modern history, the idea of having a day off 04:11 from work didn't come about by religious forces, 04:16 it came about by the labor union. Oh, really. 04:23 No, I'm maybe it's secured as reasoning, 04:26 but I know in when I was growing up in Australia, 04:31 we used to have, Labor Day, 04:33 and that was to remember that labor movement 04:36 which had brought in things in like the 40, 04:39 40 hour a week. Right. 04:42 And the weekend off, 04:43 before that in the industrial revolution 04:45 you worked, you know, as much, 04:48 kids even as much as 17 hours a day, 04:50 six day or six to seven days a week rather. 04:53 And I think you're right, Lincoln, that is the rational, 04:56 because it's to otherwise 04:58 people would be working seven days a week. 05:01 And so the basic principle behind it, 05:04 that it's important to take a day off from work. 05:06 Its humanistic that's where I'm getting. 05:07 The labor movement if it has any affiliation, 05:11 negative affiliation I think it's, you know, 05:13 it has a communist, socialist element within the, 05:18 United States, is often used against it. 05:21 But I think all that is humanistic, 05:23 there was people wanting to improve 05:25 their lot against capital 05:27 and here the human beings thought this is not right. 05:32 And I think true religion 05:33 would agree with that, wouldn't it. 05:35 The day of rest come apart and rest, says God. 05:39 He created us for rest, this divine rest. 05:41 Right. Why not. 05:43 But it's an interesting dynamic here 05:45 what is the secular logic 05:48 is being seized upon by church groups 05:54 and certainly the Catholic Church 05:56 is not being reminiscent in their support. 05:58 And of course they have another agenda, 06:01 and that's where we need to be careful, don't we. 06:03 But again there-- but there 06:04 if you look at their stated views and support of the law, 06:07 they don't talk about religion, 06:09 they just talk about the societal benefits. 06:12 Well, anyhow let's go over the Dakota Law. 06:15 How did this come about or what is it? 06:18 Well, again I think, 06:19 I don't remember the exact year that was passed, 06:22 but I believe the law. 06:23 It was this in 2011, 06:27 around June or July I think it was-- 06:29 Well, I think the law basically, 06:31 well, they've had a couple of different they have something. 06:33 It had a-- well, as I have discovered 06:35 they had a very similar law 06:36 or even a little harsher on Sunday 06:40 closings right up until 1991, and curiously enough 06:46 what forced the change was there 06:48 was a huge snow storm in the area 06:50 which they get periodically. 06:51 I've been there in some storms, 06:53 they get some interesting storms. 06:55 They had a huge snow storm 06:57 when there was a true emergency 06:59 and people needed things from the shops, 07:01 they were not opened by Blue Law edict, 07:04 and so they revisited it and changed the law. 07:06 I think the new law now 07:08 that they are open half days on Sundays. 07:10 Yeah, till noon. Till noon. 07:11 Till noon and it's stated very openly 07:15 that the intention of this will be to free people up, 07:19 so that they can if they're inclined to attend church. 07:22 It's not a requirement to attend church, 07:24 but there is an intention that, 07:26 that's what will happen. 07:28 You're right and I think that again for people 07:33 whose views don't fall, I'm taking that day on Sunday, 07:36 then obviously that's problematic. 07:37 I mean while we agree 07:38 that it's important to take a day off. 07:42 Again from a religious liberty perspective, 07:44 it's important that we as Seventh-day Adventists 07:46 have the right to worship on our day and not be told. 07:48 Now there is another curious element to this 07:50 and I'll be, discern your opinion you're a lawyer 07:54 and I haven't read the law in its entirety, 07:57 but I read quotes from it. 07:59 And it does given allowance to religious minorities 08:03 who keep other days to take off 08:06 or to close the shops some time on their day. 08:11 Now that's a very interesting admission that a route 08:14 this has a religious sensibility, 08:18 let just use that word. 08:19 But the problem then is let say, 08:20 you take off another day and close your shop, 08:23 but then you still can't open on Sunday. 08:25 I know well, that's right, so I think it routed 08:28 its prejudicial and complicated. Absolutely. 08:30 And then something that I have no knowledge of, 08:32 but how this will work in North Dakota. 08:35 But I know that certain franchises 08:38 if you want to buy like a pizza franchise, 08:42 with that one name of brand but, you know, 08:44 people purchase the franchise 08:46 and operated under the rules of the company, 08:50 they will require that you are open certain hours. Right. 08:54 I wonder how, North Dakota, 08:55 would respond with defend to franchise 09:00 who's close that on their day 09:04 and looses their franchises as a result. 09:07 I think there is a lot of complications on this thing. 09:10 It is, but I believe legally 09:13 I think that state regulations trump the-- 09:16 because most franchise agreements 09:18 there is gonna be a provision 09:19 in there that's gonna require 09:20 you to comply with your state local laws. 09:23 And so that's going to trump 09:25 the stated hourly open requirements. 09:29 So that could be good for our religious minority 09:32 who before such a law wouldn't like a Seventh-day Adventist, 09:35 I can tell you on lot of the franchise arrangements 09:38 I've seen, you would, you would be required 09:40 and would loose your franchise if you closed on Saturday. 09:43 Well, that's true. 09:45 Saturday and yes, it's an interesting spin to it that I, 09:48 I've being mulling over for a while since I read that. 09:51 But what I want to read to our viewers, 09:53 because it's problematic to me. 09:55 In the debate that developed fairly soon 09:58 after the passage of this in North Dakota. 10:01 In fact it was the debate was spearheaded 10:03 by a newspaper editorial. 10:06 And in response, Christopher Dodson, 10:08 the Executive Director of the North Dakota 10:11 Catholic Conference, said this which sounded good. 10:15 He says "Sunday closing laws are not about 10:18 honoring the Sabbath day, 10:20 they are about honoring people and families." 10:24 It sounds good. 10:25 But I have to ask, why is the Catholic Conference 10:29 so anxious to defend this and to say this 10:32 it's not about religion, 10:34 because they've been very aggressive 10:37 about sort of taking ownership of the law, 10:39 but saying it's not for religious purpose. 10:41 Well, because I mean again 10:43 who argues with that stated purpose 10:45 will pro-family work less instead of more, 10:49 I mean isn't those on the surface 10:51 seem to be pretty laudable goals. 10:52 Yeah on the surface. 10:54 Then he made another quote that sort of the bells 10:58 went off in my mind. 11:00 He said, the purpose of this law is to ensure 11:04 and this is an exact quote now 11:06 "That society is not overtaken by work and profit." 11:10 Now again that's a wonderful idea. 11:14 But I remember that reading something 11:17 and this is almost a direct quote from it. 11:19 I document that, the Pope Benedict, 11:22 came out with in 2009, 11:26 Caritas in Veritate, Charity in Truth. 11:31 It's a global prescription for solving the woes of society 11:35 and of countries and of immigration 11:37 of labor and capital, economic collapse, 11:42 sovereign the issues, they are lot. 11:44 He talks about all of that 11:46 and says that we need a global authority 11:49 with power to act or power to enforce to solve these things. 11:52 He uses that exact same statement. 11:55 And I do find that document problematic 11:57 not by it stated intent, but the net effective 12:01 it is one reviewer said is if you accept this document, 12:05 you have, you take the pope with it 12:07 or it should be less personal. 12:09 You accept the central role of the Roman Catholic Church. 12:13 And I believe in separation of church and state, 12:16 I don't want the Roman Catholic Church. 12:17 Or any church. 12:18 That's my point or any church moving in 12:23 and becoming part of the government 12:24 and then administering it's principles 12:27 through government entities. 12:29 Right and again I think 12:30 in the separation of church and state, 12:32 I mean one of the big issues 12:34 is again to be able to protect the rights 12:37 of the minorities to worship 12:38 how you believe and that's one of the fundamental principles 12:41 we found in our country. 12:42 Absolutely, absolutely, I can see, we're getting 12:45 into something basic again and so we'll take a break now 12:48 and be back after short break to further 12:50 this discussion of Blue Laws, Sunday Laws 12:53 and the role of Church and State. 13:03 One hundred years a long time 13:06 to do anything much less publish a magazine. 13:09 But this year Liberty the Seventh-day Adventist voice 13:13 to religious freedom celebrates 100 years 13:16 of doing what it does best. 13:17 Collecting, analyzing, and reporting 13:20 the ebb and flow of religious expression around the world. 13:23 Issue after issue, Liberty has taken 13:26 on the tough assignments, tracking down threads 13:29 to religious freedom and exposing the work of the devil 13:31 in every corner of the globe. 13:34 Governmental interference, personal attacks, 13:36 corporate assaults, even religious freedom issues 13:39 sequestered within a church community itself 13:41 have been clearly and honestly exposed. 13:44 Liberty exists for one purpose. 13:47 To help God's people maintain that all important 13:50 separation of church and state while recognizing 13:53 the dangers inherent in such a struggle. 13:56 During the past century, Liberty has experienced 13:58 challenges of its own but it remains on the job. 14:02 Thanks to the inspired leadership 14:04 of a long line of dedicated Adventist editors. 14:06 Three of whom represent almost half 14:08 of the publication's existence 14:09 and the foresight of a little woman from New England. 14:13 One hundred years of struggle, 100 hundred of victories. 14:17 Religious freedom isn't just about political machines 14:20 and cultural prejudices it's about people 14:24 fighting for the right to serve the God they love 14:27 as their hearts and the Holy Spirit dictate. 14:30 Thanks to the prayers and generous support 14:32 of Seventh-day Adventists everywhere. 14:35 Liberty will continue to accomplish its work 14:37 of providing timely information, 14:39 spirit-filled inspiration and heaven sent encouragement 14:42 to all who long to live and work in a world bound together 14:47 by the God ordained bonds of religious freedom. 15:01 Welcome back this is Lincoln Steed, 15:03 Editor of Liberty Magazine and host of Liberty Insider, 15:06 welcoming you back with my guest, Dwayne Leslie. 15:10 And Dwayne, before the break 15:12 we were maybe me 15:13 I was getting quite worked upon on, Sunday Laws, 15:17 in particular in general and the, 15:19 North Dakota Law, in particular. 15:23 You know, Sunday Laws, why are they so problematic. 15:27 You know, we've given a few reasons 15:28 why we don't like-- what's happening in, 15:31 North Dakota, but is there bigger pictures on this 15:33 that we need to pay attention to. 15:34 Well, I think again as Seventh-day Adventist, 15:37 we've always understood 15:38 how this fits into our view of the end time events 15:43 and I think what is particularly 15:45 problematic is this could be seen as the first step. 15:47 Because again if they came out and said, 15:51 you have to be closed on Sunday 15:52 and you have to go to church, 15:53 then there would be lot of people 15:55 who would be upset with that. 15:57 But in introducing at the way they introduced it, 16:00 it's very soft, it's very friendly, 16:02 it's poor family, you take time, don't work, 16:06 if you want to go express 16:07 your religious beliefs, that's fine. 16:09 So it's very much of a soft so. 16:11 Yeah, but it's probably the way 16:14 that a real Sunday Law with this will stop, 16:17 its very unlikely that just out of the clear blue sky 16:21 they'll be, you know, law that says 16:23 do this on pain of imprisonment 16:25 maybe later pain of death. 16:28 There needs to be a logical build up to it 16:30 and perhaps in the U.S. 16:31 it never would be or could be, go to this particular church 16:35 or there will be some legal punishment. 16:38 It just a call to worship 16:39 and honor of this common day that we share. 16:43 I mean, I'm sorry to interrupt 16:45 but, you know, some people might take literally, 16:47 you and I don't share that day. Right. 16:49 But the assumption might be the Christian America, 16:53 which people are arguing for which doesn't exists 16:57 in a structural sense or in a governmental sense. 16:59 But this, Christian America, 17:01 shows its national loyalty by honoring this day of worship. 17:05 Right, but again like you said its, 17:07 its making this much more accountable 17:10 by making it by putting in its most positive life. 17:13 Yeah. Now, we've spoken about this on the program, 17:17 but this is perfect time to reiterate it, 17:19 this is not just something 17:21 that came out of, North Dakota. 17:24 At the moment in Europe, 17:25 we're seeing this sort of dynamic 17:27 being advanced quite rapidly, aren't we? 17:29 Right, and exactly the rationals almost 17:32 exactly the same. 17:33 Where it's pro-family as apposed to be in work, 17:37 working seven days a week. 17:39 There is a group called the European Sunday Alliance, 17:41 that is trying to take this to the, 17:43 European Union, for the basically the same principles. 17:47 Now as I understand in Europe, 17:49 it's the recent development 17:52 started in Croatia, then Germany. 17:56 little bit like, North Dakota, Germany, 17:58 it had similar rules in the past 18:01 that it fallen into disrepair, 18:02 they've suddenly re-invoke them. 18:05 But without the religious compulsion saying now 18:09 it's a family rest day. Right. 18:11 And then from, Germany, 18:12 which is really the largest economy in Europe, 18:15 now it's before the European parliament 18:18 and in fact I thought they approved the policy, 18:22 but maybe it's still been discussed. 18:23 No, I don't believe that's correct. 18:24 I mean the alliance actually is a fairly small group, 18:28 I mean they've gotten a lot of press about it. 18:30 But for my research say, I don't think it's gotten 18:33 very far in terms of to get approval. 18:35 Now in the, Roman Catholic Church, 18:37 is behind it as our most other Protestant Churches. 18:40 And I'm not really sure you can say 18:42 and at least and obviously open sense that this is, 18:46 because the church is pushing for. 18:48 What I think happened in Europe, 18:50 is that it sort of a reflex reaction to the drift away 18:55 from a Christian identity for the society 18:58 because of Islamic immigration and so on. 19:01 So I think it's a way to define 19:02 Europe as Christian or as Western, 19:06 which they sort to see a synonymous 19:08 to maintain its integrity societal integrity 19:13 and of course this is the perfect opportunity 19:15 for those established churches 19:17 and different countries to then come behind oh, 19:19 yes this is great. 19:20 But I think what we're seeing though 19:22 it's really on the surface 19:24 its serve that more of a labor issue, 19:28 you know, and the strong unions. 19:31 Yes, well the unions would like it, 19:33 but maybe we need to have a program on unions, 19:38 you know, that's a concern of Seventh-day Adventists. Right. 19:40 We've got plenty of advice from our pioneers 19:45 who live through a time of union or capital labor 19:49 disputes that the unionism could in its extreme form, 19:54 they used to coheres people to sort of group behavior 19:56 and then if there is a Sunday Law 19:59 that could be banned. Right. 20:00 But I'm not really so sure, I don't know about 20:02 Europe as much, I windingly say, 20:04 I'm not as in tune 20:05 with what the unions in Europe are doing. 20:07 But I know in the United States, 20:08 unions are weaker than they ever been in my view, 20:11 I just don't see them as a powerful force yet in, 20:14 Australia or in England. And I'm from Australia, 20:17 the unions are little weaker than they've been. 20:21 So, I'm not so sure this comes from union point, 20:24 but to be sure, the unions will support it, 20:26 there is no question. 20:28 I think it maybe that they not the driving force behind it, 20:31 but they had their support to it. 20:32 Yes, I'm sure of it. Right. 20:34 And this dynamic is not wrong, we're not bad, 20:38 who wouldn't want a day of rest. Of course. 20:43 You know, shop till you drop might be great 20:45 for some ones to be success. 20:50 But, you know, what society really needs 20:52 is little pulling back 20:54 from all the commercial activity in the work 20:57 and so and so it's not bad suggestion 21:00 but its bad if it's designed 21:02 to enforce religious compliance, 21:04 it's really bad if it goes against, 21:07 or if it short circuits peoples power of choice. 21:11 Right and then it also provides for religious groups 21:15 who celebrate other days in essence it hurts them, 21:19 because if they don't do business on their day, 21:22 then they can't and then to have another day 21:24 that they can't do business on. 21:26 I have, I don't know 21:28 if I mention on this program before, 21:30 but years ago when I was touring, 21:32 Spain, with my wife, 21:33 we came in to the city of Teulada 21:38 toward the Friday evening, 21:40 and we one of the rest for the Sabbath 21:42 which I not travel on Sabbath 21:44 so we spent that Saturday Sabbath. 21:47 And I remember Sabbath morning 21:49 we went for walk through the town 21:54 wasn't as quite as we would hope 21:55 because there were lot of shops open and so on. 21:59 And it was very noisy 22:00 when we came to a certain part of the old city 22:02 and here there were people banging gongs 22:05 and yelling and screaming and creating a ruckus 22:08 actually couple hundred people crowding 22:10 around certain shops then they're moving down 22:13 and doing the same on another shop. 22:15 We found that these were with the, Orthodox Jews, 22:18 demonstrating against fellow Orthodox Jewish shopkeepers 22:22 who were open on the Sabbath. 22:23 Really, I guess they're not really, Orthodox Jews. 22:27 No, well not practicing it very well. 22:30 But, you know, it's not just, 22:36 Christians or Catholics or even Protestants, 22:39 who have done on occasion 22:40 who can be very cohesive about how the holy days is kept. 22:45 And so we need to be careful on that, 22:46 but we need to allow all minorities 22:48 or more than minorities, 22:50 all people of faith to practice their faith 22:52 as they see for, 22:53 worship on the day if they choose 22:55 or if not between them and God. 22:58 Absolute because again that sort of our bedrock 23:00 principle both in our department 23:01 and for our church to be strong 23:03 from those religious freedom 23:05 and that's why we have to watch 23:07 how these laws get applied. 23:08 Yeah, I even as we talk about this I remember a book 23:12 that I need to share with you sometime 23:14 and our viewers don't know 23:15 that we have offices very close together. 23:18 We can talk off program. 23:20 But I've got a book that I got in a library 23:26 and I got from Pacific Press 23:27 when they sold their library books. 23:29 But it's very old book giving records 23:32 of some of the religious behavior 23:35 in the time of John Bunyan in Protestant England, 23:42 but it was not really a very religiously free time. 23:44 Remember, John Bunyan, was imprisoned for preaching 23:48 when he wasn't licensed to be a preacher. 23:51 And it's very interesting to read the records 23:53 that this book has from the county records, 23:56 official records of the government at the time. 23:58 People being fined for sleeping in on Sunday, 24:01 the Sabbath whether it's the wrong day, sleeping in. 24:05 And the county clerk was even fined, 24:09 incited for singing out of tune in church. 24:12 In fact I think there is a little more 24:13 than sing out of tune, 24:14 because they said to with he was-- 24:16 Our churches might get in trouble with that-- 24:18 He was standing like a pig they said. 24:21 So it's probably mocking the stuff 24:23 and another person was fined for hanging out 24:25 the washing on Sunday. 24:28 But that was the not humorous, 24:31 but, you know, the petty sort of level of it. 24:33 But the prescriptions of the state against religious 24:37 nonconformity were quite extreme. 24:38 Like if the church excommunicated someone, 24:42 the penalty could extent to their family like the wife 24:46 of an excommunicate was fined and put under a ban, 24:50 because she attended her husband's funeral 24:53 and this is in, Protestant England. 24:55 And then who enforce that? 24:58 The state because the church 25:00 would just tell the state authorities 25:03 what was going on and they would enforce it. 25:06 It's all in record there. 25:09 But it all derive from this idea 25:10 of protecting the day of worship. Right. 25:13 It might seem a laudable thing especially, 25:16 you know, when you got a bunch of unruly irreverent 25:19 people the church would be good for them. 25:21 But once the state and the power of the state 25:23 or cohesive power whether it's the church or the state, 25:25 but the state is more likely to be cohesive. 25:29 When they do that the whole principle is abusive I think. 25:34 No, I completely agree 25:36 because again as we've stated 25:38 that's a fundamental principle here. 25:41 And I think we probably going to see 25:43 more of these laws come up, 25:45 because again as people had been complaining 25:49 about sort of what's going on in Corporate America, 25:51 and you know, these profits 25:54 and so I think we're going to start to see people saying, 25:56 you know, what maybe let's step back 25:57 little bit from surely it's profitable. 26:00 Yes, this is not a theoretical threat, isn't it? 26:02 In early Adventism when there were only about 26:06 5 to 10,000 Adventist, 26:08 as many is 900 Seventh-day Adventists 26:10 were fined or imprisoned over Blue Law infractions 26:15 and that happened not that many life times ago 26:18 and it could happen again unless 26:19 we're very diligent about speaking at against this. 26:21 No, and that's and again in our department 26:24 that's one of the things we're very focused on, 26:25 because following what's going on in, 26:28 North Dakota, what's going on in the, Europe Union. 26:30 We're going to continue to see more and more of these laws 26:33 and so we are going to continue 26:35 to stand for religious freedom 26:37 and also to protect the rights 26:39 of not only Seventh-day Adventists, 26:41 but the rights of everyone to be able to worship 26:44 according to the freedom of their conscience 26:46 and without problem from the state. 26:51 I remember being totally blown away to hear that, 26:54 Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, 26:57 volunteered an opinion I hope personal one 27:01 that Sunday Laws or Blue Laws as they more commonly 27:04 called are not unconstitutional. 27:07 Perhaps so since the, Supreme Court, 27:09 would determine such effect. 27:11 But we know that historically Blue Laws 27:14 have been set in place by religion is determined 27:18 to imposed by law of their faith practice. 27:22 Now on the principle 27:23 of religious liberty cohesion is an. 27:26 We do not believe in requiring people to worship. 27:30 We should be instead committed to encouraging 27:33 people to follow their faith initiatives. 27:36 And if they're called of God to worship 27:38 and if God require such a thing, 27:40 yes, they personally are under obligation. 27:43 I hope that those that look such Blue Laws will see them 27:46 not as these Sunday Law, 27:49 but it's a sad sign of a failure of those 27:53 in church positions to convince 27:56 the general populous to follow their way. 27:59 It should be the way of faith not of compulsion. 28:04 For Liberty Insider this is Lincoln Steed. |
Revised 2014-12-17