A Contractual Framework for Religious Freedom
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple” (Psalms 19:8).
All contracts are framed around legal boundaries with certain rights and responsibilities, to help bind parties to a clear and conscious commitment. Nevertheless, it’s important to note that the mindset we carry in drafting these agreements can lead to restrictive outcomes.
Too often as Catholics, we forget a timeless truth: that we are called (Mark 12:14) to uphold both civil and divine law, with the understanding that the latter carries the highest ruling.
The question at this point might be: Is the ever-growing religious instruction we receive as lay Catholics laid out within the framework of our contracts and business arrangements, or is it left within the expandable depths of our online bookmarks?
It’s easy for even the most seasoned believer to slip away from God’s statues. We can’t always stay true to God’s law through our own efforts. Rather, it requires faith corroborating with grace—a grace that we can receive more easily when we separate ourselves from the world’s propensity to sin.
Is God calling you to break free from this propensity, in order to make your commitment to Him more visible?
Stationary and Shackled (to an Index of Lukewarmness)
1. Maintaining the Status Quo: Do you go along with the masses instead of following “sound doctrine” (Timothy 4:1-5)?
2. Steering Clear of Disputes: Does the fear of having a mark on your reputation or being humiliated or persecuted by your network guide most of your written strategies (Timothy 3:12)?
3. Enabling Clients to Read Between the Lines: Do you allow your compassion to turn into complicity? There can be no room for shades of interpretation within your terms. Your commitment should always be black and white (2 John 9-11).
4. In the Context of the Greater Good: Although we might begin a negotiation with a single grave sin, hoping to allow for a greater outcome, that one sin can corrupt the entire fruit. It can pave the way for future complacency and for colleagues to follow suit. For this reason, it is written that if your right hand causes you to sin, you should cut it off and throw it away rather than have your whole body go into Gehenna (Matthew 5:30).
All of these questions hint at the fact that we can forsake the blessed freedom God has given us, especially if we place human respect above divine teaching. To paraphrase what I heard a pastoral monk say at the end of a homily: Does your service to others express that you are in a special and lawful covenant with God—or in an ordinary and lifeless covenant with darkness?
Serving the Public (Through Temporal Conformity)
I have come into contact with a diverse pool of clients. As an interior designer, I am brought into people’s lives throughout our first meeting, as they help me understand their specific requests. Interior design is more than generating a pretty result for clients; you have to engage with their lifestyle and habits and massage them into their space, helping the owner to create a home that is functional and supportive of their identity and outlook—an interior that simplifies their day. The key for beginning a project is to be on the same page and make clients excited yet comfortable.
I previously believed that I should support everyone in their heartfelt chosen way of life, that my beliefs should not have any bearing on theirs and vice versa. But this idea was a false misconception that I had to expel from the pits of my soul to escape secular society’s grasps. That way, I might once more learn to behold the sacred and carefully share it with others.
When I was a lapsed Catholic and I kept my wavering faith to myself, I started to subconsciously denounce my creed in one God, one holy Catholic faith, and one apostolic Church. I was clearly affirming, instead, the ideas of other faiths or the idea that sin could be relative. To me, a belief was personal and subjective, and there was no single lawful truth. It was an urge that I sometimes followed on Christmas or Easter, but in a day-to-day working capacity, I helped to support the lifestyles of my clients.
I mainly worked with couples, so I felt compassion and warmth, and I respected their outlooks to help bring about further union and shared laughter. I concentrated on how to highlight and support their needs within the space however I could. I would come into a mutual agreement with almost everything that was directed my way as long as it didn’t challenge the design. Even my faith seemed negotiable.
In my time working for other employers, I once provided upholstery selections to a charming young couple who were clearly cohabitating in their exquisite loft. I met with an exuberant couple outside of the natural bounds of marriage who were moving into a new home and wanted me to cement their life together with the most fitting design. I even sat down with a couple who were serious about superstitions or certain spiritual observances and wanted me to avoid the use of certain numbers or reorient their furniture in a way that helped them to invoke or ward off elements.
Working for other companies will not always afford me the ability to be fervent about how I stay true to my faith. However, I now allow these past events to inform how I move forward in my own practice. You, too, can begin by assessing your current approach to common situations and identifying areas that conflict with your rights and obligations as a Catholic.
A Tailored Business (With Sole Rights and Responsibilities)
Now that I have entered into my entrepreneurial journey, I am taking it upon myself to be more on top of occasions where I can either avoid or affirm mortal sin. It’s important to take the initiative for the well-being of my soul, and now, I make every effort to ensure that God’s truth and statutes radiate through every part of my service. As business owners, we should obtain religious guidance on a regular basis so we can include relevant verbiage within our written performance obligations and termination rights.
Before we can anticipate any respect for the upholding of faith in the public sphere, we will all need to start integrating overt Catholic practices into our private operations, as broadly noted in Code of Canon Law 225:
Since, like all the Christian faithful, lay persons are designated by God for the apostolate through baptism and confirmation, they are bound by the general obligation and possess the right as individuals, or joined in associations, to work so that the divine message of salvation is made known and accepted by all persons everywhere in the world. This obligation is even more compelling in those circumstances in which only through them can people hear the gospel and know Christ.
According to each one’s own condition, they are also bound by a particular duty to imbue and perfect the order of temporal affairs with the spirit of the gospel and thus to give witness to Christ, especially in carrying out these same affairs and in exercising secular functions.
The Church also has a history of principles related to the workplace passed down through papal encyclicals—not to mention pastoral letters from local bishops within dioceses and conferences. These unique resources are put forth in order to provide firm counsel on issues that may affect workers. If we do not obtain clarity through these outlets, we can always fall back on the Everlasting Word of Sacred Scripture.
Divine and Legal Recourse (for Reforming Enforceability)
The media shares stories of persecution but also vindication, emphasizing how important religious freedom issues are. We all need to be proactive. I’ve come to the realization that I can also assert my stance now, rather than wait to protest about an infringement on my rights or beliefs later.
There are organizations with professional advocates who rally in favor of religious liberty. The meaning of the term has even been distorted, leading some to think of it as a weapon used by people who practice their faith. Unfortunately, many unbelievers think that adhering to a religion should be limited to the home or a parish. As a result, a zealous faith can open us up to scrutiny and even unjust litigation, loss of license, or ongoing persecution.
This is why it is critical to understand existing state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs), spread awareness about ongoing legislation, or support bills that would carve out exemptions from laws that seek to undermine religious rights within the workplace. The process can be slow and complex, but our progress can create ripple effects for future business vocations.
You can talk with your attorney to understand all associated risks of standing on the frontline of this ever-evolving landscape—one that will carry many obstacles ahead. Remember that freedom has rarely ever been given without some form of resistance.
As Pope St. John Paul II proclaims in his apostolic letter Misericordia Dei:
Salvation is therefore and above all redemption from sin … a liberation from the state of slavery in which man finds himself ever since he succumbed to the temptation of the Evil One and lost the freedom of the children of God.
And in his Dives in Misericordia:
Let us have recourse to God through Christ, mindful of the words of Mary’s Magnificat, which proclaim mercy “from generation to generation.”
While we are in the midst of Religious Freedom Week (which begins on the feast day of St. Thomas More and ends on the feast of St. Peter and Paul), I encourage you to pray, reflect and act as the tradition recommends. May God’s Everlasting Word be with us throughout our steadfast and joyous pursuits. Amen.
Berthe Emmanuella Antoine is an interior designer who sees no distinction between her work life and devotion to God. She fine tunes others on how to create beautiful habitations in Christ from their domestic surroundings to the innermost parts of their being. Her rule of life has led her to launch INTERIOREM VITAM, a Catholic decor blog and boutique with a sleek and classic aesthetic. She is forever whisked away into the intricacies of hidden devotions and the silence of the interior life. She hopes to build a fruitful community around the brand’s mobile app. Feel free to join and start a conversation with your comments.