The American Spectator

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br> -- Howard Lohmuller br> Seabrook, Texas /p> p> TAKEN FOR GRANTED br> Re: Roger Scruton's Religious Freedom in America : /p> p>In Roger Scruton's article "Religious Freedom in America," with which I find general agreement, he perhaps carelessly states that "no grant of religious freedom..." I think the use of the word "grant" was an especially unfortunate choice of words, at least let's hope so. I assume that Mr. Scruton's knowledge of the Founders and their intentions includes the fact that our religious freedoms are not things to be "granted" by anyone, least wise any government. Rather these are part and parcel with our God given rights elsewhere explained throughout the founding documents. Indeed, the Founders were forever worried over how to keep government from invading our private domain, be it our faith, lack thereof, or matters of education and business for that matter... disallowing the government the authority to "grant" anything in these arenas. Although Scruton is right about the need to realize that if and when Christianity loses ground here culturally, the vacuum will be filled with the violence of atheism and Islam, the need to keep these rights sacrosanct is held within the hands of the citizenry, who unfortunately appear asleep at the wheel. To be sure, "our rights" have never been nor ever will be adequately defended by the "government".... The Founders surely knew this distinction, as they were more concerned in developing the means of keeping the government from harming us, by limiting its powers and abilities etc., rather than relying on the government to protect us, which would then initiate the need to give it more power and jurisdiction. Just look at us today.... "Government" has had a hard time protecting anything of late.... except in protecting its own bureaucratic self-interests, of course. And, shame on us if we think otherwise. br> -- Dr. Gregory /p> p>

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