By Norval Reece
From A Faith Perspective Column.
Special to the Bucks County Courier Times
Pope Francis said in his final message, “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and respect for the views of others.”
Words to remember.
Those of us in the United States are inclined to say that religion and democracy have nothing to do with each other; we have separation of church and state.
This column, From a Faith Perspective, is evidence of that– written free of state interference and editorial restraints each week by people from different religious backgrounds discussing their various beliefs and points of common interest.
We take this freedom of religious expression for granted. But it was not always so. Many of our ancestors came to America to escape religious persecution. Their search for religious freedom helped create democracy. And the resulting democracy has helped preserve religious freedom.
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) is an example. Thousands of them were persecuted, imprisoned, and executed in England in the mid-1600s for their beliefs which were contrary to those of the official Church of England. Quakers came to these shores searching for freedom to worship as they felt called to do.
One of their leaders, William Penn, helped pave the way to American democracy. Penn’s 1701 Charter of Privileges in Pennsylvania embedded in law a staggering number of historic firsts: freedom of religion, women’s rights, limited power of government, private property, free enterprise, free press, humane penal code, and the right to trial by jury. It helped lay the groundwork for the U.S. Declaration of lndependence (1776) and the Bill of Rights (1791).
Penn’s “Holy Experiment” prompted Thomas Jefferson to call William Penn “the greatest lawgiver the world has ever known,” and the Liberty Bell was cast to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Penn’s Charter of Privileges. But Thomas Jefferson also said, “Eternal vigilance is the price of democracy.” Some people feel that “eternal vigilance” is needed once again.
Newtown Quaker Meeting, my local religious group, is one of those. The Meeting recently adopted the following “Minute”(official statement) as a guideline for Meeting members and to share with the wider community.
Quaker Values ln Light of Current Events
In light of current events in our country，Newtown Friends Meeting (Quakers) affirms basic truths that guide and support us in good times and in trying times. These truths we share with religious traditions around the world:
- There is one human family without regard to nationality, ethnicity, religion, race, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation, or any other category.
- Truth, honesty, and love bind our human community together.
- Connected with one another and the Holy Spirit, the source of all life, we value compassion, empathy and mutual respect above wealth and power.
- There is that of God in everyone.
- We humans are part of nature, not outside or above it.
For 350 years, Quakers have borne witness to these truths. Now, hindrances and barriers to truth are being systematized and legitimized.
We are called to respond by:
- bearing witness to truth in the face of dishonesty and false narratives,
- acting courageously and accepting risk in defense of justice and compassion,
- protecting the vulnerable and responding to threats to their safety,
- living harmoniously with the natural world that sustains us, facing head-on the challenge of a changing climate,
- connecting with others in a civic call to create and sustain a nation in which an inclusive community can flourish.
I was reminded of the Newtown Quakers’ Affirmation of Values when I read about the ceremony at the Old North Church in Boston recently where they celebrated the anniversary of the start of the American Revolution. This, of course, is where they lit the lanterns in the tower to warn the colonists which way the British were coming, “one if by land, two if by sea.”
Speaking at that event, historian Heather Cox Richardson said, ‘What Newman and Pulling (the lamplighters) did was simply… to do the next right thing, even if it risked their lives, even if no one ever knew. And that is all anyone can do as we work to preserve the concept of human self-determination. In that heroic struggle, most of us will be lost to history, but we will, nonetheless, move the story forward, even if just a little bit. And once in a great while, someone will light a lantern – or even two – that will shine forth for democratic principles that are under siege….”
Freedom of religion and democracy have been intertwined in our country for nearly 250 years. They have made the United States of America a beacon to the world.
These two stalwart pillars of our remarkable country must be remembered, protected, reinforced, and preserved.
We must light our lanterns.
Norval Reece is former clerk(head) of Newtown Quaker Meeting, civil Rights activist, and international cable television entrepreneur. From a Faith Perspective is a weekly column written by members of the Bucks County faith community.