Freedom of religion

{{religion}}{{Sources needed}}{{hatnote|For the abuse of the concept of freedom of religion as a cover for intolerance, see [[religious freedom]].}}
{{cquote|Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned: yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth.|||[[Thomas Jefferson]], ''Notes on the State of [[Virginia]]''.<ref>[https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Notes_on_the_State_of_Virginia Notes on the State of Virginia.] ''Wikiquote.''</ref>}}

'''Freedom of religion''' is the [[Human rights|right]] to worship (or not worship) in any manner you choose.

Freedom of religion — which includes both the freedom ''to'' religion and the freedom ''from'' religion — is a form of freedom of thought, encompassing freedom of ''wrong'' thought and freedom of ''right'' thought.

==As a basic freedom==
Freedom of [[religious]] worship is included as a specific case of freedom of expression and [[freedom of speech]]. In general, what a person believes doesn't actively harm others, yet holding and espousing any number of beliefs may expose that same person to persecution. To address this, freedom of religion is a [[Constitution|protected right]].<ref>[https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/freedomreligion/pages/standards.aspx#:~:text=Art.-,18%20(1)%3A%20%22Everyone%20shall%20have%20the%20right%20to,of%20thought%2C%20conscience%20and%20religion.&text=either%20individually%20or%20in%20community,observance%2C%20practice%20and%20teaching.%22 International standards on freedom of religion or belief] ''OHCHR''</ref>

===Codification===
*[[Australia]] — since the Constitution was drafted in the 1890s, section 116 has prohibited establishing, imposing, or restricting any religious practice, or religious tests for office.<ref>{{wpa|Section 116 of the Constitution of Australia}}</ref>
*[[Brazil]] — Codified since 1890, in the constitution since 1946.
*[[Canada]] — Freedom of religion is a constitutionally-protected "fundamental freedom" according to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, subject to "reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society".
*[[China]] — The Constitution of 1982 grants freedom of, and from, religion to all of its citizens. However, in reality, only religious associations which submit to the state can observe their beliefs unmolested.<ref>{{wpa|Freedom of religion in China}}</ref>
*[[Estonia]] — Constitutionally-guaranteed in article 40.
*[[France]] — In the constitution since 1798,<ref>{{wpa|Freedom of religion in France}}</ref> and followed up by the policy of "laïcité" — officially mandating [[separation of church and state]] — since 1905,<ref>{{wpa|Laïcité}}</ref>
*[[Germany]] — Article 4 of the Basic Law guarantees "freedom of faith and conscience" and the right to practice religion undisturbed.<ref>[https://www.bundestag.de/blob/284870/ce0d03414872b427e57fccb703634dcd/basic_law-data.pdf Basic Law], Bundestag.de</ref><ref>{{wpa|Freedom of religion in Germany}}</ref>
*[[India]] — Guaranteed in article 15 and Article 25 of the Constitution of India,<ref>{{wpa|Freedom of religion in India}}</ref> and a preamble amended in 1976 states that India is a secular state.<ref>http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend42.htm</ref>
*[[Ireland]] — Article 44 of the constitution ("subject to public order and morality" though);<ref>[http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/cons/en/html Constitution of Ireland], Irish Statute Book</ref> until 1972, the Catholic Church was specially privileged.<ref>{{wpa|Fifth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland}}</ref>
*[[Japan]] — In the constitution (article 20) since 1946.<ref>{{wpa|Freedom of religion in Japan}}</ref>
*[[Mexico]] — Since 1859. [[Clergy]] cannot run for office or make political statements.
*[[Netherlands]] — In the constitution since 1983, though religious schools receive government funds.
*[[New Zealand]] — Codified in the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, section 15.<ref>{{wpa|Human rights in New Zealand}}</ref><ref>[http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1990/0109/latest/DLM225514.html New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, Section 15], New Zealand Government</ref>
*[[Philippines]] — Codified in the 1987 constitution.<ref>{{wpa|Freedom of religion in Philippines}}</ref>
*[[Poland]] — In the constitution.
*[[Portugal]] — In the constitution since 1976.
*[[Spain]] — In the constitution since 1978.
*[[Switzerland]] — In the Swiss Constitution since 1874;<ref>{{wpa|Religion in Switzerland}}</ref> Article 15 in the 1999 Federal Constitution.<ref>[https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/201601010000/101.pdf Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation], Swiss Federal Government website</ref>
*[[United Kingdom]] — Guaranteed since the ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights, strengthened since the passage of the [[Human Rights Act 1998]]. However, the UK does have an established state religion ("[[Church of England|Cake or death?]]"<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rMMHUzm22oE#t=286</ref>) and the abolition of legal penalties for [[blasphemy]] was shockingly recent (2008).<ref>{{wpa|Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008#Blasphemy}}</ref>
*[[United States]] — Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the [[Establishment Clause]] and Free Exercise Clause of the [[First Amendment]] of the [[United States Constitution|constitution]]<ref>{{wpa|Freedom of religion in the United States}}</ref> and is closely associated with separation of church and state (known as the "wall of separation").<ref>{{wpa|Separation of church and state in the United States}}</ref>

==Freedom ''from'' religion==
''See also: [[Freedom from Religion Foundation]]''

While there are some (okay, apparently quite a lot) on the [[Religious Right]] that disagree, freedom ''from'' religion (e.g., the ability to be an [[atheist]], [[secular humanist]], and so on) is an integral part of freedom ''of'' religion. This is because without the ability to choose to not partake in religious activity, the free choice of religious activity becomes meaningless. Freedom of choice requires [[informed consent]], and a cornerstone of this is the ability to withdraw consent — otherwise it's coerced, and therefore not free consent. If the option to not be religious is removed, then being religious becomes effectively forced and the power that the belief has (because it was chosen out of all others, including the "N/A" option) is diminished.

==Criticisms==
There are multiple problems with the concept of freedom of religion, and how far a person's freedom of worship should be protected:
*Religion and [[culture]] are often deeply intertwined. Many [[war]]s are religion-based (or religion is used to justify them ''ad hoc''), many countries have a dominant religion or religions even when there is officially no religion that is [[State religion|endorsed or supported by the state]],<ref group=note>Examples of religions that are dominant in their nation, even if not officially endorsed by the state, include Christianity in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and several other countries (especially in Europe and the Americas), Judaism in Israel, Hinduism (as well as Buddhism and Islam to lesser extents) in India, and Buddhism and Shinto in Japan.</ref> and worshipping contrary to the state (or, even worse, following a religion that happens to be seen as a threat{{efn|[[Islamophobia|Islam is the standout example of a religion that is seen as a threat in the modern day]], especially in Western nations such as the United States, Great Britain, and the members of the European Union (as well as in India to some extent, where Muslims and Hindus are [[Hindutva|often literally trying to tear each other's throats out]]), but most religions have been seen as a threat and subsequently persecuted in some nation at some time or another. For example, Buddhist/Shinto Japan went through a period of ruthlessly exterminating Christians, the aforementioned "Muslims and Hindus trying to tear each other's throats out" situation in India has been going on for roughly a millennium,{{fact}} and the Christian Spanish conquerors of South America responded famously poorly to the Aztecs' practice of [[human sacrifice]] (though Christianity has historically looked upon ''any'' [[pagan]] religion negatively). And then there are [[New Atheism|those people who see ''all'' religions as threats]]…}}) is seen as an act of civil, not religious, disobedience. The "[[Park51|9/11 Mosque]]" brouhaha is an example of this.
*Religion often demands actions from believers that offend the culture they exist in or conflicts with the values of the land. Examples include:
**Smoking [[ganja]] for [[Rastafari|Rastafarians]]
**Use of [[Peyote|psychedelic plants]]
**[[Polygamy]] for [[Muslim]]s, [[Mormon]]s, or anyone else seeking to emulate the many polygamist prophets found in the [[Old Testament]].<ref>http://www.biblicalpolygamy.com/polygamists/</ref> In 1878, the [[Supreme Court]] decided that polygamy was illegal, even for Mormons.
**[[Incest]] for anyone who noticed Sarah was [[Abraham]]'s half-sister
**Killing [[Infidel|non-believers]], believers of other religions, [[Apostasy|apostates]], [[homosexual]]s, non-[[virgin]]s on their wedding nights, and those who work on the [[Sabbath]]<ref>http://www.evilbible.com/Murder.htm</ref>
**Chanting up and down Oxford Street for [[Hare Krishna]] worshipers
**[[Animal]] sacrifice for various religions, when the animal will be used as food<ref group=note>This practice has been deemed constitutionally-protected, so long as the person will eat the animal, and the sacrifice is not any more traumatic to the animal than other forms of non-ritual food-slaughter.</ref><ref>http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/12/us/supreme-court-animal-sacrifice-court-citing-religious-freedom-voids-ban-animal.html</ref>
**[[Human sacrifice]] for Aztec revivalists
**Declining [[medical]] treatment for your children on religious grounds. In 2011, the state of [[Oregon]] decided to remove religious conviction as a defense against homicide charges faced by parents who shun medical care for their kids.<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-03-28-column28_ST_N.htm Even religious freedom has limits], ''USA Today''</ref>
*[[Monotheism|Monotheistic]] religion, by its very nature, tends to demand that it is the only true religion. "[[Ten Commandments#First Commandment: Idolatry|Thou shall have no other god but me]]," as [[Yahweh]] put it.{{efn|Though the original reading of that would be "Thou shalt have no other god(s) ''before'' me", which could be taken as an admission [[Monolatrism|that other gods ''exist'', but should not be treated as more important than Yahweh by Yahweh's chosen people]]. The history of the early Jewish religion is complicated, and it doesn't help that the contents of the Torah and Bible have repeatedly been edited ([[Council of Nicaea|sometimes]] deliberately, sometimes as an unintended result of [[Bible translation|translation]], and [[King James Bible|sometimes]] as [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TranslationWithAnAgenda an ''intended'' result of translation]) to suit the new direction of the Jewish and Christian faiths.{{fact}} (Which in and of itself ''should'' be a death blow against the concepts of [[Biblical literalism]], Biblical inerrancy, and [[Essay:The Word Of The Lord Should Not Be Static|the perfection]] of [[dogma]], but if there's one thing [[Fundamentalism|fundies]] are good at, it's [[Confirmation bias|ignoring information]] [[Cognitive dissonance|that doesn't conform to their]] [[worldview]]…{{fact|joke}})}} As such, those religions tend to frown on religious freedom for [[Infidel|infidels]] (i.e. the rest of us).
*Religion has historically been used as a last resort argument against, well, everything, but notably integration, and freedom of religion used as an argument to support discrimination in public accommodations, services, etc. To this end, the [[religious right]] has co-opted the phrases "[[religious freedom]]" and "religious liberty" as euphemisms for their bigotry and their desire to continue controlling others.
*People that belong to a well-codified religion can find it easier to assert certain rights ("I would like to have a cross in my hospital room because it gives me comfort") than those that do not ("[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333640/ I would like to have a funny picture of a pig in my room for the same reason]").

==See also==
*[[Cuius regio, eius religio]] — a primitive version that applies to states and their rulers rather than individuals
*[[Freedom from Religion Foundation]] — because freedom for [[Atheism|atheists]] is important, too
*[[Religious freedom]] (i.e. as a [[Code word|political euphemism]])
*[[Separation of church and state]] — a concept that is often necessary to prevent a self-professed "one true faith" from throwing freedom of religion out the window (among other abuses of influence)

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:Religion]]

Categories: Human rights, Religion