ABSTRACT
The ways in which freedom and state security can be mutually enforcing strands of a single cord can be found in early American history. Religious autonomy and security are two vital parts of the cord of community. It is helpful to imagine freedom and security as two, although only two, of the strands that contribute to the cord that creates and holds together that elusive concept, the good society. When dealing with religiously motivated violence, or violence that uses religion as a purported justification or pretext, it is important to differentiate between individuals who have committed crimes and groups to which those people belong. Recognizing this distinction can contribute to strengthening the strands of both religious freedom and state security. A strategy for enhancing both freedom and security norms is to look first to existing legal categories when responding to religiously-motivated criminal activity.
