Christian Attorney Pens Book on Religious Rights and Freedoms
by Allie Martin
August 18, 2005
(AgapePress) - A Christian attorney is trying to help believers better understand constitutional law and religious freedom. Christians, he says, must understand their rights in order to maintain their freedom. In his new book Eternal Vigilance, Liberty Counsel president Mat Staver covers topics such as students' rights, teachers' rights, religious symbols on public property, prayers at public assemblies, and other issues involving free speech and religious liberty.
Religious liberties, Staver explains, involves the ability to be able to share the gospel of Jesus Christ in public places -- and that, he says, is "the most important message in the world."
"If we don't know what our liberties are and they are infringed, then we'll simply neglect the opportunity to share the gospel," he says, "and children in public schools won't be able to hear the good news of Christ, or Good News Clubs after schools won't be started, or churches won't be able to operate in a particular area of town."
Ignorance and apathy among believers, he contends, has resulted in erosion of civil liberties.
"The Declaration of Independence sets forth the purpose of government," he points out, "and according to the Declaration, the only and sole purpose of government is to protect our God-given, pre-existing liberties -- liberties that come from God."
The attorney explains that the duty of the government is to protect those liberties -- "and when government no longer protects them, we are charged in the Declaration with challenging the government." And it is the duty of Christians, he adds, to be able to make sure that government "protects our God-given, pre-existing liberties."
Other topics addressed in Eternal Vigilance include the right to picket and demonstrate, door-to-door witnessing, free-exercise rights, and political activity of non-profit organizations. Staver founded Liberty Counsel in 1989.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
