Does the US Constitution grant religious liberty to American citizens? The answer is a resounding no! Unfortunately, many Americans, including Christians, might be surprised by that answer. After all, the reasoning goes, is that not what the First Amendment is all about? And again the answer is no. If the constitution grants religious liberty, then it is guilty of promoting a concept that is both tyrannical and unbiblical.
Fortunately, the American founders who drafted the constitution in 1787 (it was ratified by the states in 1788) understood that religious liberty comes from God and not the state. This is the teaching of the Bible. This is also explicitly stated in the constitution’s preamble, which says a purpose of the constitution is to “secure [not grant!] the blessings of liberty.”
- You have reached the end of this article preview. This article was published in the Summer 2025 Baptist Bulletin. Subscribe to the Baptist Bulletin or purchase a gift subscription. If you already subscribe to the print edition, sign up for free digital access.
Jay Lucas is senior pastor of Grace Community Baptist Church, Washington Court House, Ohio, and director of The Isaac Backus Project, which develops books and resources that “equip Christians to engage the culture by teaching them how to apply the Biblical worldview to the issues of our day.” He is a graduate of Baptist Bible College of Pennsylvania and Scranton University. Jay writes more about the Biblical basis of religious liberty in his book, Meant to Be Free, available at RBPstore.org and other online retailers.
