I am finishing up a student internship with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty.
This year the BJC celebrates its 75th anniversary as a religious organization devoted solely to the protection of our first freedom. With offices located across the street from the U.S. Capitol, the BJC works tirelessly throughout the year to promote religious liberty for all people.
Andrew Gardner
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America’s freedom of religion takes its cue from the first 16 words of the Bill of Rights: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free-exercise thereof .…”
These two clauses, along with the prohibition of religious tests as qualification for holding public office in Article VI, form the framework for the entire task of the BJC.
This principle of religious freedom rings true to the Baptists of early America who fought passionately to secure their right to worship. Virginia in particular was a major battleground for early Baptists such as Jeremiah Moore, who was imprisoned for preaching the gospel without a license in the Anglican-established state.
Many Baptists in Virginia wrote to leaders such as Thomas Jefferson pleading their case for the right to worship freely. It is also rumored that Baptist leader John Leland was going to contest James Madison for a seat at the Constitutional Convention, but he withdrew after Madison promised to pursue the principle of religious freedom in the new system of government.
This rich history of Baptist involvement in issues of religious liberty provides a steady backbone for the BJC today. This backbone is further supported through the joint effort of 15 Baptist bodies that provide funding and purpose to the office’s efforts in Washington that take the form of legislation, litigation and education.
The BJC’s sole emphasis on religious liberty allows these very diverse groups in Baptist life to come together to protect their right to have those varied differences.
There are numerous organizations that often end up defending the rights of Christians. What makes the BJC unique is the Christian witness they show through an unrelenting defense of religious liberty for all — not just Christians.
It is easy to fight for our own rights, but it is our moral obligation to fight for the rights of the other. We may believe they are completely wrong in their faith, but would we rather smother them with indifference and self-centeredness or love and compassion?
One may contest the BJC on a particular stance or policy issue, but not their emphasis on treating every individual of faith or no faith with dignity and respect. In Acts 10, as well as Romans 2, Scripture says, referring to Jew and Gentile, “God does not show favoritism.” If we believe this to be true, why should Christians encourage America to pick favorites? Should we not also seek the benefit of those who believe differently from us?
Looking at the past in celebration of these 75 years, it is all too necessary to offer a hope and prayer of encouragement for the BJC for the future. In a setting like the nation’s capital, getting sucked into the politics of achievement and effectiveness for certain legislation or litigation can become the primary focus.
I hope and pray for the BJC to remain above the politics of Washington, recognizing that Jesus Christ has achieved everything through his life, death and resurrection, that the achievement of religious liberty remains a natural outgrowth of the BJC’s witness to God’s mercy and grace he showed us on the cross.
I am thankful that my government does not interfere with my religion and that organizations fight for that right. I am, however, truly proud of the BJC for fighting for the least of these and the marginalized groups in today’s society, showing God’s love in a selfish world.
Andrew Gardner is an undergraduate student in religious studies and history at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. This column was distributed by ABP.
