As our society becomes more secular, can liberal democracy continue to exist without the belief in God? John Adams, one of the founding fathers of the United States, stated in 1798 that the Constitution was only meant for a moral and religious people. This idea makes sense as liberal democracy is built on the foundation of equality and human rights. But how can we achieve equality if we are only judged by others or the state? It is only through belief in God that we can claim equality, as every human being has infinite value and inalienable dignity in the eyes of God.
The pursuit of equality and human rights has always been protected by the belief in God, as seen throughout history. However, current relativist and woke philosophies cannot defend human rights or equality. Therefore, a rigorous philosophy or belief in God is necessary to protect our liberal democracy. Without this, totalitarian regimes can easily exploit people’s lack of faith to manipulate and control them. This is why persecuting people of faith is a common tactic of authoritarian regimes.
It is important to protect and sustain liberal democratic values through religious faith or rigorous philosophy, as seen in the fear of totalitarian regimes towards people of faith. Even in free countries of the West, human rights are being threatened and people are being divided by movements opposed to religious faith and truth-seeking. It is up to us to take action and defend our liberal democracy, or risk losing it entirely.