The American Myth of Religious Freedom
Theologian Craycraft argues that "there is no such thing as religious freedom. The reason that such an assertion sounds so shocking to us is that we have been so completely formed by the American myth." As a secular political culture, America embraces religious freedom only within certain boundariesAreligious orthodoxy is not allowed to threaten the secular basis of government, and therefore orthodox practitioners do not enjoy the same degree of religious freedom as more secular citizens. The Catholic church, for example, is a patently undemocratic institution and therefore fundamentally at odds with U.S. political and legal rhetoric. Craycraft examines the logic of the Constitution, court struggles, published public opinion, and the work of other scholars to support his thesis. A careful reading of this work will aid in understanding the debate, but it will not resolve the tension arising from this conflict of belief. Recommended for academic collections and all libraries in communities where this is a current issue.AGeorge Westerlund, Providence P.L., Palmyra, VACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.