Throughout history, there have been many struggles for religious freedom and the separation between state and religion. Some states and societies pick one religion for all the citizens to follow while many others choose religious freedom of all.
The Edict of Toleration, written in 311 AD, shows that Roman leaders thought Christians and their religion were a threat to the Roman Empire. They wanted to restore the Roman Empire to its height of greatness, which meant bringing Christians back to Judaism. However, this plan was not working. The Roman leaders eventually took back the laws forcing Christians to revert back to Judaism and asked Christians to pray for the recovery of the empire.
The Edict of Milan closely followed the Edict of Toleration. This edict was created with the hope that religious freedom could be ensured for every religion and person. This edict nullified any other edicts or laws that restricted the practice of religion. Constantine and Licinius wrote that it would be best for the nation, peace, and all people for each person to follow the religion he/she believed.
The struggle for religious freedom continued after this edict was issued in different ways than before. The most immediate issue to the freedom of worship arose when Constantine tried to give orders to church leaders concerning how they ruled the church. The Bishop of Cordova from 296-357 AD wrote a letter to Constantine urging him to stop interfering in matters of religion just as the bishop did not interfere with matter of politicians and emperors. One of the most interesting parts of this letter says,”Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s. We are not permitted to exercise an earthly rule; and you, Sire, are not authorized to burn incense.” The bishop quoted Jesus when he said “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” (Mark 12:17). This shows how Constantine both helped and hurt Christianity. First, he made Christianity more respected and less persecuted through his conversion and the Edict of Milan. Second, he laid the foundation for it becoming the state religion.
Struggles for religious freedom have continued throughout history with events such as the Inquisitions, the Crusades, and the migration to the new world for religious freedom. This separation is still a problem today. For example, Middle Eastern groups like ISIS, the Taliban, and others fight for control of their societies and religious rule. In Europe and America, these problems are somewhat solved. However, some laws go against Christian beliefs and other religions like abortion and homosexual marriage. This struggle seems to be recur throughout history.
