The Character of Religion in the Early and Contemporary United States, Essay Example

America was founded on principles of freedom and liberty.  The Founding Fathers escaped the oppression and restrictions of an all too overshadowing king in Great Britain to begin anew in a country with choices and natural human right (Butler 323).  They believed that their voices were meant to be heard and that their choices could make a difference in the world. When these men built a new nation, they left the selection of religion available to each individual citizen within the United States. Since establishment in 1776, America has stood upon one fundamental liberty – The freedom to choose.

The assumption of an existence of a supreme being specifically determined the desire of humans to be able to constitute a proper way of recognizing such persona. Relatively though, there are several groups who view God differently, hence, they have created their own groups and formed different doctrines, ceremonies and other ways of making sure that they praise God the way they think is necessary.

Before the United States was created, Europeans were bound by religious restrictions and lack of liberties. Essentially no religious freedoms existed during this era.  Prior to the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s, individuals were constrained to the Roman Catholic Church. However, the Reformation led to the conception of new Protestant churches throughout Europe.  Lutherans became one of the most dominant non-Catholic groups.  In the 1530’s the national church became independent.

There are numerous reasons why American today support religious freedom of individuals. They include:

1. The need to adapt to a global mindset that was required as a result of the merging of trade markets to form a united global market.
2. The need to uphold human rights so as to protect the fundamental rights and freedom of individuals. This allows for individuals to exercise their free will.
3. The need to create an environment in which autonomous thinking can thrive. This is meant to allow individuals realize their full potential, moving the economy and society towards the desired state of utopia.
4. The emergence of different religious beliefs that could potentially cause conflict when their fundamental ideologies fail to integrate in a peaceful manner.
5. The increase in the number of deaths as a result of acts of terrorism on the general public has brought to light the underlying problems between different religious beliefs. To avoid loss of life and negative impacts to the economy, it is essential that different religious beliefs integrate into a peaceful society where religious liberty is upheld.

The concept of free religion was initially implemented in the United States colony of Maryland, in 1634.  Several years later, the Maryland Toleration Act was presented by Lord Baltimore (Maryland Toleration Act 328).  The act declared that no individual should be disrespected or harassed for his or her religious values, beliefs, and free practices.  However, religious tolerance and freedom was not fully established within the United States until the American Revolution, when the Declaration of Independence was signed and fulfilled.

Foundation in Constitution

I believe that the importance of religion in terms of its nature and level within the American society cannot be understated. A huge portion of the American Constitution has been founded on religious ideologies long held by its founding fathers. These laws defined the history of America, similar to that of numerous Western societies. This has been marked by different eras in history.

Moral Values

Religion is the material that weaves the moral fabric of society. Moral values are almost always by the fundamental values held within a given religious belief. When society diverts away from religion, the moral fabric of the society is degraded as most issues are interpreted relative to an individual’s perception of right and wrong. Religion aims at creating a harmonious society, free from all possible vices. However, the erosion and devaluation of the roles and importance of religion exposes the American society and Western culture to numerous plausible social problems as interpretation of most issues is relevant.

The foundation of the United States was based upon many of the problems that individuals had faced in their old lands.  The Declaration of Independence, implemented in July of 1776, appoints individual rights and freedoms to the people of the United States.  The document negates the powers of European rule, and allows the citizens of the new country a life of freedom and choice.  In addition, the Declaration of Independence limits the power and rule of the United States government, allowing for more individual freedom and discouraging dictatorship and citizen oppression as experienced in Europe (Jefferson, Franklin and Adams 339).

Freedom of Religion as a Fundamental Right

One of the most significant new rights in the new land was the freedom of religion.  This new liberty was first introduced through the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. The statute was drafted in 1777 and presented to the Virginia General Assembly in 1779 by Thomas Jefferson (The Virginia Bill of Rights; section 58, Constitution of Virginia; Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom; Declaration of Independence 340).  Several years later, in 1786, the decree was sanctioned into the state law. Ultimately, the law renounced the Church of England within the state of Virginia and further granted freedom of religion to the citizens regardless of their favored faith.  Through the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Catholics, Jews, and Protestant denominations alike were equally allowed to worship freely.  This particular movement set the stage for the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause within the First Amendment in the United States Constitution (The Virginia Bill of Rights; section 58, Constitution of Virginia; Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom; Declaration of Independence).

Influence of the Founding Fathers

Founding Fathers Thomas Jefferson and James Madison believed that individuals, as well as society as a whole, should be led by human intention, prudence, and scientific investigation.  They believed that humans were inquisitive and unique beings capable of great things if allowed the freedom to do so.  Individuals cannot merely be placed into categories and led like sheep – forced to do things that aren’t in their creative and natural spirits.  The Founding Fathers of America understood that individuals should be at liberty to practice their own ability to reason in order to control and decide their choices and values.  In other words, values and particular religious faiths cannot be assigned and required by a government. According to the thinking associated with the Enlightenment in the 1800’s, principles of reason, unrestricted exploration, and natural human liberties directed the development of American society, reinforced the ideas of democracy, and supported freedom of religious values (Separation of church and state, 434).

Since the onset of America, rights and liberties, especially the freedom of religion, has evolved and gained strength. For example, President George Washington declared that within the new nation, followers of all religions should be allowed to practice their individual faiths through freedom and liberty and not by the authorization or understanding of the government or society.  These rights are established and enforced over and over again throughout the most important historical documents of the United States.  The right to choose has always been an important element in American freedom, just as it is important in theological terms.

Freedom of Religion in the Constitution

The Constitution of the United States refers to religion and the freedom to choose one’s own religion in two specific portions.  The Constitution’s First Amendment and Article VI of the Constitution address the matter of religion within the United States.  The First Amendment prohibits the national government from creating any law establishing religion or eliminating the free practice of religion.  The article was later extended to encompass state and community governments as well.  Furthermore, Article VI institutes the ban on religious exams as a prerequisite for attaining public office positions (Hemeyer). The separation of church and state was a fundamental element in the creation of the United States government. The term literally means a wall between the church and the government.  According to the Founding Fathers, religion is a matter lying solely between an individual land God, and that citizens should not need to explain their religious beliefs to the government or society.

Preceded by the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights further establishes the separation of church and state and freedom of religion within the United States.  This document serves as one of the early samples of total religious freedom.  The Bill of Rights paved the way for religious freedom throughout the world and began the disestablishment of official churches within the United States, thus setting an example for the rest of the modern world.

Today, America is a melting pot of many different cultures and nationalities.  America has developed considerably more diverse over the years.  Progressively, more and more ethnic cultures with their own traditions and values have migrated to the land of dreams and freedom.  Variations in immigrants has really up soared since 1965 at which point immigration laws began to permit more immigrants from Asia, Africa, and South America. The United States allows individuals to keep their traditional religious rituals or to choose a new relationship with God.  Citizens are not required to conform to official religions, and individuals are not persecuted for dissimilarities in religious beliefs. Therefore, religious freedom is necessary for the vast gathering of diverse people. After all, America was established on standards of rights and freedom.  The Founding Fathers fled the religious restrictions of Europe for a new land with choices and natural human rights. Upon the establishment of America, the choice of religion was made available to each individual citizen.  Since the nation’s establishment in 1776, America has stood upon one fundamental liberty – The freedom to choose, and this is reflected in freedom of religion.

Works Cited

Butler, Jon. Religion in colonial America. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.

George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom. Religious Freedom and Democracy. Brookline, MA: Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, Inc, 2012. E-book.

Hemeyer, Julia C. Religion in America. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

Jefferson, Thomas, et al. “Declaration of Independence.” 4 July 1776. The Charters of Freedom. Internet Source. 20 March 2014.

Maryland Toleration Act. S.I.: Great Neck Pub, 2009. Internet Source. Protestant Reformation. n.d. Web. 24 March 2014.

The Virginia Bill of Rights; section 58, Constitution of Virginia; Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom; Declaration of Independence. Richmond: Commonwealth of Virginia Division of Purchase and Print, 1950. Print.