We asked our UFI readers this question:
True or False: “Freedom of Religion” and “Freedom of Worship” are just different ways of saying the same thing.
This is how our readers responded:
True 13 Percent
False 87 Percent
Although those two phrases seem very similar, they are in fact quite different. The vast majority of our readers do know the difference. Those who have switched the dialogue from “Freedom of Religion” to the watered down “Freedom of Worship” are the same people who desire to remove all vestiges of religion from the public square.
People of religious faith and commitment know that freedom of religion is about far more than just showing up weekly at the chapel, cathedral, synagogue or mosque to worship. Religious freedom and expression includes the way you dress, the opportunity to speak about your faith openly, to preach and evangelize, and to engage in the political process on initiatives that are important to you as a religious person.
Any attempt to protect only the “freedom of worship” is a step toward banishing religious expression outside of a church setting. Don’t allow Religious Freedom to be compromised by those who would make the rhetorical shift to “Freedom of Worship.”
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