"The landing of Roger Williams in 1636" by Alonzo Chappel
"The Soul of Liberty"
by Addison Wiggin
“Human nature being what it is in the world is always going
to face challenges, especially in preserving freedom.”
- Steve Forbes
"A short history lesson. In 1636 the English-born American theologian Roger Williams landed in what is now the state of Rhode Island. Having fled the Puritan-led Massachusetts colony, Roger Williams founded a city upon a hill and called it Providence. The new town’s mantra: Hope.
Simple, resounding, and looking to the future. Full of hope, Roger Williams created Providence on the grounds that: "No person within the said colony, at any time hereafter, shall be in any wise molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question, for any differences in opinion, in matter of religion, who do not actually disturb the civil peace of our said colony; but that all and every person and persons may, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, freely and fully have and enjoy his own and their own judgments and consciences, in matters of religious concernments, throughout the tract of land hereafter mentioned, they behaving themselves peaceably and quietly and not using this liberty to licentiousness and profaneness, nor to the civil injury or outward disturbance of others."
He called it “soul freedom.” At the time it was the largest liberty event in the New World, setting the standard in our blessed Thirteen Colonies for what civil liberties in America should look like – not to mention his fair treatment of the native peoples.
Almost a century later the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America echoed Williams’ declarations, reading: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
By now we have the First memorized… If you don’t, you ought to, for it is our God-given, Madison-written, Franklin-scrawled right!"
No comments:
Post a Comment