(part two) can someone look at this for bad mistakes? anything I did wrong pls tell me. We can look at Constantine for example. Once he had converted to Christianity, many of his subjects also “converted” outwardly, yet they had not in their hearts. They pretended to believe certain things for political gain and favor in the eyes of the emperor.
Furthermore, neutrality also protects against discrimination towards minorities. A great example of this was recorded by Eusebius, an ancient historian who transcribed the facts of the early church. In his time, martyrs were common and Christians were persecuted for their faith. Roman Emperors claimed that they were gods worthy of worship and thus required all Romans to worship them. Since Christians would not do this, the Emperors saw them as traitors and infidels. If the Roman state had been religiously neutral, lives would have been protected from the punishment required for what was considered criminal behavior. Galatians says, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (English Standard Bible, Galatians 5:13) There are countless examples of violence and abuse towards minority groups, and religious freedom is one of the few walls blocking off predators from them. When considering neutrality, freedom must always be brought up. How can a nation claim to be neutral or even forward-thinking then restrict one of the basic principles of freedom? In America’s case, this can't be said without completely contradicting what the country is based on, the constitution. The first amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. (Constitution) The amendment goes on to describe the liberties Americans have in the sense of freedom of speech, the right to inform the people, the right to peacefully assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Again to the topic of religious freedom, the constitution, which bases the way of life in America, clearly prohibits any sort of theocratic government, and for good reason too. A system can no longer function when it ignores all public opinion. The only way public opinion can play a role in the political process is if the powers of a supreme clerical leader are diminished. It’s the oppressive and cruel ways governments force their people out of some of their most precious freedoms that leads to revelations and in other cases poverty, sickness, depression, and all kinds of unrest among the people.