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Freedom to be Bound: Religious Liberty from Moses to Madison

December 8th, 2025 | 7 min read

By Ian Speir

Religious liberty is a paradox. While liberty (from Latin libertas) implies a lack of constraint, the word religious signals the opposite. The Latin root religio, from religare, means “to bind fast.” Religion, according to fourth-century Christian philosopher Lactantius, means that “we are tied to God and bound to Him [religati].”

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Ian Speir

Ian Speir is a Senior Legal Fellow with the Religious Freedom Institute and a First Amendment attorney representing religious organizations across the country.