Be Thankful Today For Religious Freedom

Religious freedom in the United States was never planned by the colonial settlers; it was something that just happened. Nonetheless, said Rev. Charles Weaver, assistant to the bishop of the United Methodist Church's Florida conference, religious freedom is something for which we should be grateful.

Weaver, a Sebring native and UMC minister who majored in history before he went to seminary at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, was the guest speaker at the Daughters of the American Revolution, Annuttaliga Chapter, monthly meeting earlier this week at the Brooksville Country Club.

His presentation was titled "Religion in Colonial America."

"The First Amendment states Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion," he said. "We as Americans take this for granted because that's the way it's always been."

Weaver said freedom of religion was a revolutionary concept in colonial times as it is now.

"Other governments, unless influenced by the American concept, tend to support one religion or have an established church," he said.

Weaver wasn't referring to countries like Saudi Arabia, which has Islam as the state religion - he was talking about Europe.

"England has the Anglican church, Scotland the Presbyterian church and Sweden the Lutheran church as tax-supported churches," he said.

The plus side to a tax-supported church might be not having to hold a bake sale when the water heater needs to be replaced, but there is a tradeoff.

"Governments that give money to churches expect some degree of control," Weaver said. "Americans are more religious (than Europeans) - does that tell you something? We basically have a free-market approach."

Weaver, who now lives in Lakeland with his wife Barbara, said colonial Americans were overwhelmingly British, but were unchurched.

"Most of the people in early America were not religious," he said. "They were not anti-religious or anti-church. They didn't come to America seeking religious freedom. Most came for a better life."

Weaver pointed out there were settlers who did cross the Atlantic specifically for religious freedom - like William Penn and his fellow Quakers who settled Pennsylvania, and the Pilgrims who set foot at Plymouth Rock.

But for the most part, Weaver said, the American colonials were commercial ventures; they needed settlers regardless of religion.

The original plan was for the colonies to be no more tolerant than England. When Jamestown was established in 1607, the Church of England was intended to be the established church in Virginia but early attempts to enforce it were unsuccessful.

During the 175 years of the colonial period, toleration policies changed and progressed in the colonies and in Britain.

Early New England, dominated by the morally strict Puritans, was an exception to colonial toleration, but New England changed over time, Weaver said.

In 1775, one year before the American Revolution, congregations in the colonies included Congregational (667 churches), Presbyterian (558), Anglican/Episcopalian (495), Baptist (494), Quaker (310), German Reformed (159), Lutheran (150), Dutch Reformed (120), Methodist (65), Roman Catholic (56), Moravian (31), Congregational-Separatist (27), Dunker (24), Mennonite (16), French Reformed (7) and Jewish (5)

"Though many colonies had established churches, it would have been impossible to choose one denomination as a national church," he said. "Nonreligious Americans opposed establishment in the name of freedom from religion, but many religious Americans opposed it for theological reasons."

Weaver said early churches tended to by led by lay people and were locally controlled. Early Americans believed the church must be limited in power, but free.

"We are a puzzle to many and a marvel to many," Weaver said. "And we are the envy of the world."