But, from a Western perspective, that was a long way from freedom of religion, nobody was free to be an atheist, a dissenter, or a believer in any non-recognized religion. In a multicultural world rights are important to everybody. They raise basic questions about what kind of a global civilization we are creating and passing on to our children. That matter of authority can make group rights an explosive subject. Western center-left liberals are most likely to get caught up in the contradictions.
People change nationalities, jobs, religions and marriage partners.
They are also likely to belong to multiple communities, each demanding loyalties and obligations. Moreover membership is in large part a matter of opinion. To an anti-Semite, I am simply a Jew. Americans like to think that rights are fairly straightforward, things we have written down clearly in our national documents and are prepared to export to the rest of the world. They are not that at all.