Over 400 years ago, the Pilgrims sailed the Mayflower to the New World, seeking religious freedom. And after a difficult first year in America, the surviving Pilgrims gave thanks and feasted, joined by about 90 Native Americans.
The Pilgrims were neither the first nor the last group to come to America to make a new life and worship freely. In recent years, however, some people have raised questions about whether religious freedom is worth protecting at all. Does religious freedom harm society? Does it lead to discrimination? Does protecting religious freedom mean going back to before the Civil Rights Era? The short answer to all these questions is no.
Religious freedom allows for human flourishing.
Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach 