資訊來源:
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Heather Cox Richardson
係Boston 大學的歷史系教授。她寫的《To make men free 》
有中譯本《通往自由之路》，我時常推薦朋友閱讀。
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HC Richardson
FB 2025.11.27
✔️原始十三殖民地中，有十個在法律中明文規定了自己的官方宗教。那時候不是在挑選「哪間教堂音樂比較好聽」或「哪位牧師的牛仔褲最好看」。在當時，宗教意味著權力；如果你不遵從法律，就會受到懲罰。
• 維吉尼亞（Virginia）是英國國教（Anglican）。不去教堂可能會被罰款甚至坐牢，教區（vestry）還可能派人到你家查訪，那可不是什麼友善的關懷探訪。
繼續閱讀請點選下面這個數字 [28.11.25]
• 麻薩諸塞（Massachusetts）是清教徒（Puritan）。他們驅逐異議者、鞭打浸禮宗（Baptists），甚至處決貴格會（Quakers）成員。
• 安・哈金森（Ann Hutchinson）因為在家裡舉辦查經班而被驅逐。紐約有一條河就是以她的名字命名。
• 馬里蘭（Maryland）由天主教徒建立，他們通過法律規定：若有人否認三位一體，就可能被處死（三位一體這概念甚至不在《聖經》中）。
• 賓夕法尼亞（Pennsylvania）是貴格會（Quaker），以寬容著稱，但即使如此，他們仍禁止賭博、戲劇表演及宣誓；而和平主義也使他們在政治上飽受爭議。
• 紐約（New York）與紐澤西（New Jersey）深受荷蘭改革宗（Dutch Reformed）影響，但在英國統治下聖公會勢力上升，連路德宗牧師都不被允許公開講道。
• 羅德島（Rhode Island）是例外。由羅傑・威廉斯（Roger
Williams）創立，他被麻薩諸塞驅逐，而他相信強迫宗教是「靈魂強暴」（soul rape）。
• 北卡羅來納（North Carolina）中的貴格會成員因拒絕效忠宣誓或拒服兵役而被罰款，並被禁止擔任公職。
所有這些，都不是宗教自由，而是宗教強制。殖民地之間並沒有共同的信仰，而只要你越界，就會受到懲罰。
這正是為什麼憲法要把教會與國家分開。因為他們親眼看過，也親身經歷過宗教成為法律時會發生的事。
英文原文：
✔️Ten of the
original 13 colonies had their own religion written in the law. This wasn’t
about finding a church with the best music or a pastor with the best jeans.
Back then religion meant power and if you
didn’t follow the law there were consequences.
-Virginia was Anglican.
Miss church and you could be fined or
jailed and the vestry might send someone to your house to check on you and it
wasn’t a nice welfare check.
-Massachusetts was Puritan and they banned
dissenters, whipped baptists and executed Quakers.
-Ann Hutchinson was banned for holding
bible studies class at home.
A river in New York is named after her.
-Maryland was Catholic founded and they
passed a law that if you denied the trinity you could be put to death (the
trinity is not even in the Bible).
-Pennsylvania was Quaker, know for
tolerance but even they banned gambling, theater and oath taking and their
pacifism made them politically controversial.
-New York and New Jersey had strong Dutch
Reform roots but under British rule Anglican gained power. Lutheran pastors
weren’t even allowed to preach publicly.
-Rhode Island was the exception.
Founded by Roger Williams after he was
banned from Massachusetts he believed forced religion was “soul rape.”
-North Carolina had Quakers who were fined
and barred from holding office for refusing to take loyalty oaths or military
service.
-All of this was not religious freedom.
It was religious enforcement.
The colonies didn’t share one faith and if
you stepped out of line you would be punished.
-That’s exactly why the constitution
separates church from state.
They knew what happens when religion became
law because they had seen and experienced it first hand..
- Lindsay Winslow Brown