Americans Christians tend to take for granted our freedom to worship God as we like. In other countries, such freedoms are not acknowledged, and it can be hard going to profess faith in Jesus Christ. We have seen how brutality and violence can run amok when freedom to worship is curtailed: witness the Soviet Union for most of the 20^th century. And today we see millions of people displaced, oppressed, and even enslaved where freedom to worship God is not acknowledged by a dominant religion. We must not take this fundamental liberty for granted, but must stand firm for it as often as we can. Here are some resources that might help:

“The First Freedom: Why Religions Must Be Free, Not Tolerated,” by William L. Saunders, Jr.

“A New Order of Religious Freedom,” by Richard John Neuhaus

“Doing What’s Right: George W. Bush and Religious Freedom,” by Charles Colson

“Defending Our Right to Pray: A Not-So-Quiet Revolution,” by Charles Colson

“Let Freedom Ring: But for Whom?” by Chuck Edwards

“The Diplomacy of Religious Freedom,” by Thomas S. Barrr

For a deeper consideration of this question, order the book, God and Government, by Charles Colson, from our online store.

A conversation starter: “If, in America, we think freedom of religion is so important, why do we turn a blind eye to nations that don’t hold to this conviction? Are we being consistent as a people when we do business with nations that persecute Christians?”