In “The Moderate Martyr” article, George Packer quotes Abdullahi Ahmed an-Naim as saying, “If I don’t have the freedom to disbelieve, I cannot believe.” I appreciate how this quote captures the importance of upholding religious freedom for all faiths. As a Christian living in a country in which Christianity is the majority faith, I should appreciate how my freedom to worship as a Christian is tied to my freedom to not worship. My Christian faith is enriched by knowing that I could choose to walk away from my faith and even publicly criticize it and not fear that the government would punish me for it. In this way, religious freedom for all faiths is not only valuable for those whose faith differs from mine, but also has a particular benefit for my own faith expression. Religious freedom is also a right that flows from my Christian tradition, whose Scriptures describe faith as both a gift and a free choice.
