Editor, Times-Union: The following is the explanation of the second section of my proposed constitutional amendment for furthering strengthening freedom of religion, the free market of religious activity and maintaining the independence of both institutions of church and state from each other. Before I begin I would like to add a few more observations of my own to the ones that I listed from “A World Survey of Religion and the State” by Jonathan Fox in my March 23 letter. In his book, Mr. Fox listed four important conclusions from his research in order to maintain “Separation of Religion and State, religious freedom and equality of all religions before the law.” Conclusion one is that written constitutional protections are necessary. Conclusion two, such constitutional protections have to be devoid of qualifying statements that effectively gut such protections. Conclusion three, a government has to “have the political will to enforce” such protections. Conclusion four, there has to be “court system with the power and inclination to do the same” in regards to enforcing such protections sometimes on its own. I would add five observations of my own to the above list based on previous research. First, either a majority of participating voters or a significant minority has to be committed at the ballot box to maintaining the three values listed above from Mr. Fox’s book to ultimately keep those values. Second, attempts at imposting a collective faith for all will lead to the polarization of a country, marginalization of minority faiths and sometimes open conflict. Third, the more authoritarian or totalitarian a country’s government becomes in general the more intervention into the free market of religious activity will occur. Fourth, the more coerced unity of church and state is pursued and or achieved as a policy objective, the more authoritarian or totalitarian practices spill over into other areas of government and society. Fifth, countries that are failed states, embroiled in civil wars, lack strong civil institutions necessary for free societies or have weak central government for example Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Nigeria, Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan, and Pakistan easily become natural breeding grounds for religious militants and theocrats to take root and spread their ideology into other countries. Proposed Constitutional Amendment concerning freedom of religion and separation of church and state continued – Section 2 the basic right stated: The inalienable right of the citizens and inhabitants of the United States and its territories or of foreigners residing here or abroad whether alone or with each other to respectfully engage with an ethical manner toward others in the peaceful, open, free and voluntarily aided expression and exercise of religion or irreligion according to the dictates of individual conscience without fear of suffering because of one’s chosen beliefs acts of reprisal, interference, coerced conformity to contrary beliefs and practices, a precarious coexistence with a majority faith, or enslavement to a collective faith. Alexander Houze Leesburg
