Our Threatened Freedom

Is the First Amendment Being Used to Persecute Christians

Professor: Dr. R.J. Rushdoony

Subject: Political Studies

Lesson: 23-169

Genre: Conversation

Track: 023

Dictation Name: Vol. B - Part 10 - Is the First Amendment Being Used to Persecute Christians

Location/Venue: Unknown

Year: 1980’s – 1990’s

[Dr. Rushdoony] Is the First Amendment being used to persecute Christians? This is R.J. Rushdoony with a report on our threatened freedom.

On hundreds of state college and university campuses across the country, there’s a major threat facing campus religious ministries which are Christian. In two federal district courts, judges ruled that {?} universities may not allow such religious use of their facilities. In one case it was ruled that the Christian student group could use campus facilities, for a non-religious party, or if for religious use, only twice in a quarter, on application and on payment of rent. One person remarked it’s almost as if we pay rent if we use the word God. But if we add the word damn, it’s free.

In other place, public high schools have sought to bar Christian student groups from eating on the premises during lunch time, after school, are at any time. In other words, if your religion is atheism or humanism, you can use school or university facilities, but not if you are a Christian.

All this is done in the name of the First Amendment and the separation of church and state.

But this is not all. When in California, Christians organized as Californians for biblical morality. One newspaper called this a violation of the First Amendment. In other words, it’s alright for homosexuals and prostitutes to organize for legal action, but Christians should be forbidden to attempt to influence politics. The plain implication of all this is that anybody can have all the freedom he wants and use public buildings also, provided he is not a Christian. In the name of the First Amendment, freedom is being denied to Christians.

Why should campus Marxists, atheists, humanists and homosexuals have freedom but not the Christian students?

What kind of judges are we appointing to the bench, who can use the First Amendment to deny freedom to Christians?

Years ago, someone said that fascism would come to the United States in the name of fighting fascism to save freedom. I was reminded of that when I learned that someone who wants freedom denied to Christian groups had insisted that he is thereby fighting fascism.

The days of freedom are numbered in the United States if such things continue, and continue they will, as long as most people are indifferent to the growth of bigger and bigger civil government, and the decline of our freedom.

Are we any better off today for having concentrated so much statist power in Washington D. C. and the state capitol? Unless we begin to change things we will, before long, be no more than slaves of the state.

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