church and state hi res_new
Written by Don Byrd
The Baptist Standard reports on a speech given by the Baptist Joint Committee’s Brent Walker at Baylor’s Truett Seminary. He emphasized the Baptist heritage of religious liberty, and the constitutional mandate for government to neither prohibit or advance religion.

The First Amendment guarantees of religious freedom makes sure government “maintains a healthy distance from religion,” Walker said.

“These twin pillars of our constitutional architecture—no establishment and free exercise (of religion)—require that government neither help or hurt religion,” he said. “Rather, government must be neutral toward religion, turning it loose to flourish or flounder on its own.

“In other words, government should accommodate religion without advancing it, protect religion without promoting it, lift burdens on exercise of religion without extending religion a benefit.”

Read the whole thing.