Editorial April 23, 1990 Issue

Justice and equal rights for all—under the law of Principle

William E. Moody

Justice is one of the cornerstones of civilization. Without a consistently dependable standard of justice, any society would have a tenuous existence at best. At worst that society could become mean, abusive, dehumanizing—a destructive predator feeding off its people's darkest fears.

Yet even in free societies justice must be vigilantly guarded. The people must take special care to ensure that basic rights aren't eroded over time through indifference and apathy or through misunderstanding and prejudice. And one of the most fundamental of all human rights to be preserved vigorously is the free exercise of religion.

If a group of responsible citizens, no matter how small a minority, were to be denied the right to practice their religion freely according to the deeply felt dictates of their conscience, society as a whole would ultimately suffer. Any diminishment of such a basic human right also directly diminishes the richness, vitality, and diversity that actually give strength to a society. Whenever a fundamental individual freedom is jeopardized, liberty and justice for everyone are at risk.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Testimony of Healing
As a young boy I became ill, and although I was under medical...
April 23, 1990
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit