By David Trimble

America in 2025 remains a land of peace and stability amid profound pluralism. These conditions have not often traveled together in human history. Yet, our society is also in a state of immense unease, fueled by growing cynicism and tribalism and situated within a digital communications landscape that is almost incomprehensible in its dynamism and magnitude. Such times of social and technological upheaval can be unsettling, but they can also encourage us to rediscover foundational principles that have served our country well during past periods of confusion and turmoil. And foremost among them are equal human dignity and religious liberty for all. Independence Day is a fitting occasion to reflect on their true meaning and value for our nation and the world.

The Declaration of Independence made the extraordinary claim “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Though certainly present in the Jewish and Christian scriptures, the notion that human dignity is given by God equally to all had never been declared politically. Now, nearly 250 years into the American experiment, this proposition may sound ordinary to our ears, but we can no longer pass by it so easily. We must rediscover its significance for our common life and our rich free exercise tradition.

On this day of celebration and remembrance, allow me to look back at a remarkable resource that touches on precisely these themes. A number of years ago, RFI led an effort that brought together a religiously and politically diverse group of leaders and scholars to

restore civility to public discourse on religion and freedom of religion and conscience in America; explore the meaning and value of freedom of religion and conscience as a foundation of American democracy and national and global prosperity; and build a multi-faith, non-partisan coalition working to affirm freedom of religion and conscience as a vital safeguard for people of all faiths and none.

The result was the American Charter of Freedom of Religion and Conscience. Article 1 of the Charter states:

[Religious] freedom is a bedrock of personal liberty, a safeguard for communal freedom, and a wellspring of social pluralism. It assumes diversity in matters of belief and stands against enforced coercions, whether religious, ideological, political, or social. As well as protecting the freedom of the “inner forum” of the mind and conscience, this right protects the freedom of the “outer forum” of the nation’s public square. From Thomas Jefferson’s avowal that “Almighty God hath created the mind free,” to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s insistence that the church “is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state,” our greatest leaders have affirmed that fulfilling humankind’s highest potential and responsibilities requires that individuals and communities be free to exercise their convictions of conscience in every arena of life. Freedom of religion and conscience is a foundational and inalienable liberty held by every human being in equal measure. To treat it as anything less, or to restrict it for any but the most pressing reasons, is to undermine human dignity, human rights, and equality.

Article 2 states:

Freedom of religion and conscience is rooted in the inviolable dignity of each human being...Under the First Amendment, Americans have a civic obligation to recognize this right, not only for themselves, but for all people, including those with whom they deeply disagree.

Political, cultural, and religious divisions among Americans today are broad and deep. But our common human dignity runs deeper, anchored in the wonder and majesty of God’s creative power. How we choose to respond to our significant differences will play an enormous role in what the rest of the 2020s and beyond will look like in this country. I believe upholding equal human dignity and religious freedom is essential for the path forward.

Fidelity to America’s First Freedom does not entail the belief that all truth claims are equal or even valid, nor does it demand ignoring the errors of our fellow citizens on some (or perhaps many) critical issues. But it does set an important baseline for dealing with our civic neighbors in the midst of those errors and disagreements. Religious freedom demands that we seek to convince rather than coerce one another in matters of ultimate importance, thus enabling a firm commitment to truth in a way that upholds equal human dignity. Religious freedom establishes a cultural and legal framework that rejects resorting to violence or government coercion to settle religious or ideological disputes. It provides space for deep disagreement, allowing fellow citizens to make their case freely to one another on issues that really matter and, within due limits, to live in accord with their deepest convictions in their private and public lives.

Religious freedom cannot resolve all that ails our divided country, but it remains the cornerstone of rebuilding support for America’s common good.

On this 4th of July, may we consider anew the ways that religious freedom provides a model for putting the Declaration’s historic claim of equal human dignity into practice in American life. On this 249th anniversary of America’s founding, let us honor our national Independence by upholding equal human dignity and religious liberty.

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David K. Trimble is President of the Religious Freedom Institute.