EQUALITYPUSH.COM BLOG


Freedom of Religion

Can there be equality in a country that infringes upon the peaceful practice of religion?

When Benjamin Franklin died, the parade of mourners in the streets included the leaders of all faiths. Why? Because Franklin gave to any group seeking to build a house of worship, without regard to whether it was a 'minority' or 'foreign' religion.

Additionally it was he who struck Jefferson's original line "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable" - and changed it to "We hold these truths to be self evident".

*By using the word “sacred,” Jefferson had asserted, intentionally or not, that the principle in question—the equality of men and their endowment by their creator with inalienable rights—was one of religion. Franklin’s edit turned it instead into an assertion of rationality. * Smithsonian Magazine