Liberty and Equality Under the Law

The fact of “the largest religious change in human history” makes it imperative to recognize that knowledge and worship of God flourish only by the liberty with which our Creator endowed us. That liberty makes us fit for a society of mutual trust, equality, interdependence, and responsibility. Freedom under God is the safeguard of human rights and the wellspring of personal industry and social benevolence. Such benevolence is indispensable to a thriving civil society in the fostering of good governance and the promotion of the common good. The duty we owe to our Creator, as well as the manner of discharging that duty, demands the rejection of force or violence, and the recognition that all citizens are entitled to the free exercise of religion guided by the dictates of conscience.