This morning we opened the final day of GodblogCon 2008 with an exclusive premiere of the Acton Institute’s new documentary, The Birth of Freedom.

I had occasion to think about one of the pelling parts of the film when I came across this blog post from Justin Taylor. JT shares a section from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s address at Western Michigan University, December 18, 1963.

A key point:

But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also.

In a word, the state does have an indispensable role to play in promoting justice, and when it fails to do its job Christian citizens have their own responsibility to call it to its task.

Prof. Robert P. George of Princeton University observes in The Birth of Freedom that it is patently false to think that faith plays no positive role in public life, a position promoted by the New Atheists and popularized by the likes of Bill Maher. George urges us:

Think of what a scandal it would be if we were to say the abolitionists should have kept their Christian faith out of the struggle against slavery. Rev. Martin Luther King should have kept his Christian faith out of the struggle for civil rights. People who fought against the terrible mitted in the name of eugenics should have kept their faith out of politics.

The film was well received by the Godbloggers, and there was a great deal of interest in how it fits into Acton’s work and how the film could be passed along to friends, family, and colleagues. We’re grateful to GodblogCon for the opportunity to present this feature to an important audience.

Bloggers should also be aware that we offer a special opportunity to attend Acton University, which will next be held from June 16-19, 2009. Program details will be announced in November, but you can get more information and contact details for Kara Eagle at the Acton University page. Inquire about blogger scholarships and ask to be included on the list of those invited to apply.