BYU campus forum: Religious freedom
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PROVO, UTAH
Religion in the public square is essential to the nation's founding principle of freedom of religion, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) told more than 5,000 students, faculty and community members during a campus forum in the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University on Oct. 25.
"Our unique constitution history ... created in turn a unique American public square in which there is no establishment of one religion, [but a] freedom of all religions," Sen. Lieberman said. "… Religious freedom in America has led in the public square to a set of shared values that were obviously evident in the 19th century and I think at our best moments remain today."
Speaking specifically to the BYU audience, Sen. Lieberman said he was honored to be on the university's campus, and thanked Elder L. Tom Perry and Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve for being there.
"I do feel a special connection to the Mormon faith and to BYU because of the core principles this university stands for, which are rooted in the tradition in the Mormon faith, but also clearly shared by, I would say, most Americans, and I would say certainly most religiously observant Jewish Americans," he said. "Throughout my life I have been blessed to experience the bond that exists between people of faith whose faiths are different, and I have felt that in my life with Mormons that I have been privileged to know, have as friends, or to work with."
Sen. Lieberman spoke of the opportunity he has had to work with people from many different backgrounds of faith, and the common ground of core beliefs that many people share.
"People of faith share a lot, beginning with our gratitude for what we have been given," he said. "First and foremost — our lives. We believe in what both the Bible and the Declaration of Independence tell us. The Bible, of course, makes clear we are not here by accident, but because of a divine, godly act of creation. And as the Declaration — written by men of faith — tells us that everyone of us is a child of God, and as such each and everyone of us has inalienable rights by birth of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. ...
"We believe that each of us with those rights has responsibilities that are articulated in our faiths," he said. "And each of us has a destiny, and this nation of ours itself has a destiny. That's why I am so pleased that you have asked me to speak about faith in the American public square. It is a subject that I have thought about a lot, written about a little bit and lived a lot in what I think is a classically and wonderfully American way."
Sen. Lieberman spoke of the founders of the nation, and the important role of faith in their decision making.
"America has been from the beginning, a faith-based initiative," he said. "And anybody that tries to separate faith from America's public square is doing something unnatural and ultimately bad for our country. Our founders were all men of a particular Christian disposition … so you have to give them extraordinary credit that when it came to religion the remarkable documents they wrote and embraced guaranteed religious freedom for everyone, not just people who shared their faith. ...
"In American history this sublime and serious combination of religion and democracy has overall been a force for great good. Some of the most important movements of conscience in our history emerge from the conviction of religious people and use the language and literacy of faith to grow popular support."
It is values, not geographical boundaries, that defines the nation, he said.
Sen. Lieberman spoke of the important role his Jewish faith has played throughout his own life, and the impact it has had on his political career.
"My Jewish faith is central to my life," he said. "I was raised in a religiously observant family … [and] my faith has provided me with a foundation, an order, a sense of purpose in my life. It has much to do with the way I strive to navigate in a constructive way through everyday, both personally and professionally, in ways that are large and small."
One of the central observances of his faith — and also of the LDS faith — Sen. Lieberman said, is the observance of the Sabbath.
"I think the Sabbath observance has diminished in our country over the course of my life, and the country has lost as a result of that," he said. "I also believe that this day, this institution, is thousands of years old and is more relevant and necessary than ever before, not just in a religious sense, but really in the quality of life sense."
Sen. Lieberman also spoke of the attention the Church is receiving in the political arena and the importance of sharing with others what it is that Latter-day Saints believe. It is through more knowledge about the Church that people of other faiths will come to a greater understanding, he said.
"Don't hesitate to speak up in your own defense, you've got a lot to defend," Sen. Lieberman said.
Prior to the forum, Sen. Lieberman met with students and the community during a special reception in the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center on the BYU campus, and immediately following the speech, Sen. Lieberman opened the floor for questions from students.
