Editor, Times-Union: The following is my explanation of section 3 of my proposed constitutional amendment for furthering strengthening religious liberty, the free market of religious choice and maintaining the independence of the institutions of church and state from each other both here and abroad. All four sections of the amendment have appeared in the previous editions of the Times-Union throughout the summer. While section 1 of the amendment details what groups are barred from prohibiting of infringing upon the basic right in section 2, which to briefly recap for readers is any part or whole of the executive, legislative, judicial or bureaucratic branches of government at the local, state, national or international levels along with voters and foreign powers etc., the basic right in section 2 gives broad protection to religious expression by individuals or groups plus freedom from a collective faith for all by starting out with a foundation freedom that applies to all of us throughout the United States and the world. That right being the following “to respectfully engage with an ethical manner toward legitimate laws and the life, liberty, property and well-being of one’s fellow humanity to do the same as others would or differently in their individual or associated pursuits of happiness or service to others in all facets of life.” It then immediately narrows down in focus to freedom of religion after the words “facets of life” with the following: “Including 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 or disbelief acts of reprisal, interference, coerced conformity to contrary beliefs and practices in one’s residence, house of worship or elsewhere throughout one’s daily life, favoritism or hostility from a biased regime, a precarious coexistence with a majority faith, or enslavement to a collective faith.” Section 3 provides necessary in-depth protection by naming and prohibiting key types of infringement by the various branches and levels of government on religious expression and freedom from the partial or full establishment of a collective faith for all. Those general types of infringement which have appeared all too frequently through human history are: persecution and prejudice, forced conversion, undue intrusion, involuntary aid, compulsory adherence to sectarian laws, sanctioning and support of religious cartels, preferential treatment, the merging of church and state, and the incremental or outright establishment of a collective faith for all. My next letter on this subject, which will immediately follow after this one, will start off with explaining the first type of infringement listed above, persecution and prejudice and then proceed into the other types of infringement. Alexander Houze Leesburg
