Your first amendment IS your first obligation.

Pastor Jonathan Pinson

 “You have no right to defend your faith.”- so says the critic.

Are we going to accept this as a true statement?

In the United States of America, we have been blessed to enjoy freedoms that are not available in other countries around the world.

I believe we would agree that we do not want to give up ANY of the constitutional rights that we have in the United States. However, if we to have to forfeit all these rights- the right to live out and practice our faith should be the last freedoms we are willing to lose.

If this is true, this right must be some of the first freedoms we are willing to defend!

Most of us could quote the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”

While we can quote these words, do we fully understand what they mean? Do we know what actions are permissible and defensible in our everyday lives?

I would suggest that we have it all backwards. We have accepted the narrative that living out and practicing our faith is a political issue. It is not! Religious liberty is a spiritual issue. As such, if spiritual leaders throughout America do not defend religious liberty who will?

The founders of the United States of America understood these principles. They understood that it was the right and responsibility of individuals to work out their own faith and to guard against government overreach in this area. That’s the very reason the first amendment to the United States Constitution was drafted!

The Bible is clear that Christians have a responsibility to being engaged and involved in government proceeding.

However, we have allowed the left to sell us a “bill of goods”. We have been talked out of our first amendment and told that it was drafted for the purpose of keeping faith out of government. This is not true! It was drafted to keep government out of our faith.

First Liberty is a national religious liberty advocacy group who has been defending first amendment issues for years. their team of attorneys have had many victories in the United States Supreme Court. Recently they published an exhaustive study titled “Religious Liberty in the States” (*1).

This study took a deep dive into the religious liberty protections and problems facing every state in our country. Do you know where West Virginia ranked? We ranked 49th out of 50 in religious liberty protections. According to First Liberty’s analysis West Virginia ranks just behind California and just ahead of New York and religious liberty protections!

How can it be? How can West Virginia, which is known for its conservative standards be so far behind in religious liberty protections?

The problem is we have stopped showing up to defend our first amendment rights! if this does not change, we will soon find that we no longer have rights to defend.

It is high time that Christians find their voice and begin defending of their faith.

This is the first article of many which will address the religious liberty issues facing West Virginians.