Question:
Is it right for any Christian denomination or believer to force someone to believe like them?
Answer:
Force is the antithesis of the character of God. Any church or individual who exhibits such a nature is not Christian. The following scripture presents one of the grandest, noblest utterances ever spoken by any teacher in the world:
“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” John 12:47, 48.
In other words, Our Lord recognizes man’s right to absolute free choice. Jesus Christ would force no one to believe, no one to confess, no one to act contrary to his own convictions. Jesus presents in His teaching and in His life evidence sufficient to base faith upon, but the soul is left free to choose. He will not judge; He will not condemn. Neither must His followers. All the condemnation which the sinner will need are the living words of Christ he will face in the last great day, which would have saved him if believed, but were rejected. Would that those who seek to compel religious belief or practice could learn Christ’s words and follow His Spirit.
Let’s look at it another way: Religion is “the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it.” Liberty is “the state of being exempt from the domination of others, or from restricting circumstances. In ethics and philosophy, the power in any rational agent to make his choices and decide his conduct for himself, spontaneously and voluntarily, in accordance with reasons or motives.”
Religious liberty, therefore, is man’s exemption from the domination of others, or from restricting circumstances: man’s freedom to make his choices and decide his conduct for himself, spontaneously and voluntarily: in his duty to his Creator, and in the manner of discharging that duty.
Since God has created man, in the nature of things, the first of all relationships is that to God; and the first of all duties could be nothing but duty to God.
Now, although that is the first of all possible relationships and the first of all duties; though that relationship and duty are inherent in the very existence of intelligent creatures; yet even in that inherent obligation, God has created every intelligent creature free—free to recognize that obligation or not, free to discharge that duty or not, just as he chooses. Accordingly, it is written: “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” (Joshua 24:15). “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17). Thus it is absolutely true that in religion—in the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it—God has created man entirely exempt from the domination of others and from restricting circumstances: has made him free to make his choice and decide his conduct for himself, spontaneously and voluntarily. Thus religious liberty is the gift of God, inherent in the gift of rational existence itself.
