Amendment I of the Constitution of the United States of America states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” 

The founders understood that the role of government is to protect each individual citizen’s right to choose the ideas that will guide her life in the pursuit of her own happiness. Part of protection of that right is the prohibition of forceful interference with the exercise of that right.

The ideas a person chooses for the guidance of his life represent the individual’s philosophy.  The dominant philosophies at the time of the nation’s founding were based on the doctrines of various religious sects and, in addition, a natural philosophy based on the use of reason. The founders recognized that a commitment to a philosophy had often led to passions and persecutions of the most horrendous sort.  The first amendment was designed to respect an individual’s choice of philosophy while protecting others in case that individual was tempted to try to force belief on them or to harm them in any way.

In the late eighteenth century the general populace generally thought of philosophy in religious terms. There were also many freethinkers who thought in terms of the use of reason to reach truth. By now, in the twenty-first century, many other belief systems have been developed as individuals sought to determine a proper philosophy.  Many people have a passionate faith in all sorts of belief systems such as a fundamentalist religious viewpoint, faith in social systems such as socialism or communism, or - rather than faith - a commitment to determine truth by reason.

In today’s environment, the meaning of the first amendment would extend to any faith based belief system. One can have faith in socialism and practice it among willing participants.  What is prohibited is the establishment of institutions which force that doctrine on others.  The great achievement of the founding of this nation was to protect individuals in the pursuit of their own happiness in their own way.

If people decide that their own happiness depends on self-sacrificial service to others, they are protected in that choice. If someone chooses a life of passionate commitment to the study of some historical era, that person is free to do so.  The essence of freedom is to protect the right to pursue your chosen route to happiness, neither forcing others to help you nor being forced by others to help them.

It may be difficult to see someone choosing an irrational or mistaken path as they pursue their life, but the essence of a commitment to freedom is to respect their right to do so. Just as responsible parents try to educate their children to achieve their own well-being and happiness, one is free to educate (not to force) others aim toward that admirable goal.
 

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