| abstract |
As a cornerstone of western liberal democracy, religious freedom underwrites a multitude
of historically valued civil liberties, including freedom of conscience and thought. These protected
civil liberties extend to negative rights, which include non-governmental interference in a citizen's
private life. To preserve and protect such important tenets of society and guarantee civil
liberties, a secular and reason-based government is imperative. However, there currently exists a
conflict in the United States as many elected officials warily or unreflectively occupy the intersection
of religious freedom -- and, more widely, personal liberty -- and secular law.
The purpose of this paper is to argue that to properly safeguard not only secular government
but wider civil liberties, including religious freedom, generally the right to practice or not
practice a religion, elected and appointed public officials must accept restrictions on their religious
rights while serving the public in office. This does not mean that these individuals must
abandon their deeply held convictions, but it does mean that their judgment as it relates to political
decision-making cannot be solely predicated or wholly reliant upon religious belief. Political
decision-making, as a necessary part of public service, must be based on reason and critical
thought, which includes careful intellectual reflection. In addition, these proposed self-imposed
religious restrictions offer protection to personal liberty as a whole and are justified in their resulting
preservation of others' religious rights.
The paper will be divided into six interconnected parts. Part One, "On The Importance of
Religious Freedom," discusses the necessity for religious freedom within a liberal democracy.
Specifically, it will discuss the characteristics of religion and religious freedom as it relates to
and encompasses additional personal liberties such as free thought and expression. Part Two, "A
Case for Secular Government," will implement Robert Audi's libertarian, equality, and neutrality
principles to demonstrate the need for a secular government to ensure wider protection of citizens'
rights. Additionally, Part Two will present an objection to secularism and highlight the history
of religious influence in the United States. Part Three, "Special Obligations in the Workplace"
will discuss the precedence set by varying occupations and their oaths and duties. Part
Four, "Distinguishing Non-Religious and Anti-Religious" will define terms and discuss non-religious
laws and practices in government. Part Five, "The Role of the Elected Official," will seek
to define the duty of elected and public officials, especially pertaining to their relationship and
obligations to the Constitution as well as to the citizens they represent. Part Six, "Making the Ar-
gument," will state and defend the thesis.
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