Do you believe in religious liberty?

[YeshuaRedeemed]

This is for everyone. Atheists are very welcome to share their thoughts for example. For me, religious liberty is usually a right, but there are exceptions. What those exceptions may be differ on subjectivity and individual opinion. As with all of my content on this site, audience participation is requested irregardless of person opinion. One example of religious liberty in my privately held opinion not being a right is a religious doctor denying the morning after pill to a crime victim. Personally, while I feel I have the right to my religious beliefs, thought, speech, and practice, I do not feel comfortable forcing people to live as Christians. I am a religious and political moderate, and believe in building bridges between liberals and conservatives, atheitheists and religious people. I to some extent follow situational ethics when it comes to some issues. Political or religious, without sacrificing my personal core values, I believe I can support an atheist's moral right to be an atheist, or a Muslim to Islam, because if I want respect for my rights, I have to and want to respect yours. My dance teacher told me a story of Satanists who protected a Muslim hate crime victim, and I asked what the Christians did to help, and she said they did not help. I personally feel that Christians and other religious adherents are straying from their core religious principles. All religions in my opinion have a few bad apples, and some atheists are kinder than I can be at times. I am calling for individual introspective honesty, mutual kindness, and tolerance during disagreement. I hope I am not posting this in the wrong section, but I feel like the fine art of civil disagreement and personal rights arte dying, and what I want to kno is how can we maximize religious liberty, without taking things too far? Just my personal thoughts, please share yours.

 

[Father Heathen]

Religious liberty is fine as long as it's not used as an excuse or justification to deny rights and freedoms for others.

 

[osgart]

For ones own self and not forced on others, then religious liberty is a good thing provided it isnt false towards others. In which case i gotta wonder if they have victimized themselves with their chosen religion or perhaps they have become the oppressor, in which case i denounce the religion.

 

[YeshuaRedeemed]

Religious liberty is fine as long as it's not used as an excuse or justification to deny rights and freedoms for others.

I agree. That is what I am calling for: A balanced approach. Like if someone was picking on you for no reason, I would be mad at them. You have the right to choose what you do and do not believe.

 

[Sunstone]

I think people, regardless of religion or lack of it, should have broad rights to self-expression that only stop when someone's self-expression harms others. I also think religious institutions, such as churches, should not be exempt from taxes unless all non-profits are.

 

[Estro Felino]

In my country, I respect only those religious denominations who bow to the secular law.

 

[YeshuaRedeemed]

I think people, regardless of religion or lack of it, should have broad rights to self-expression that only stop when someone's self-expression harms others. I also think religious institutions, such as churches, should not be exempt from taxes unless all non-profits are.

That sounds like the nonaggression principle, and I concur.

 

[David1967]

Religious liberty should be a right regardless of the faith up until the point it advocates or takes part in violence or attempts to deny a person's right to life saving medical care or procedures. Especially children.

 

[sayak83]

This is for everyone. Atheists are very welcome to share their thoughts for example. For me, religious liberty is usually a right, but there are exceptions. What those exceptions may be differ on subjectivity and individual opinion. As with all of my content on this site, audience participation is requested irregardless of person opinion. One example of religious liberty in my privately held opinion not being a right is a religious doctor denying the morning after pill to a crime victim. Personally, while I feel I have the right to my religious beliefs, thought, speech, and practice, I do not feel comfortable forcing people to live as Christians. I am a religious and political moderate, and believe in building bridges between liberals and conservatives, atheitheists and religious people. I to some extent follow situational ethics when it comes to some issues. Political or religious, without sacrificing my personal core values, I believe I can support an atheist's moral right to be an atheist, or a Muslim to Islam, because if I want respect for my rights, I have to and want to respect yours. My dance teacher told me a story of Satanists who protected a Muslim hate crime victim, and I asked what the Christians did to help, and she said they did not help. I personally feel that Christians and other religious adherents are straying from their core religious principles. All religions in my opinion have a few bad apples, and some atheists are kinder than I can be at times. I am calling for individual introspective honesty, mutual kindness, and tolerance during disagreement. I hope I am not posting this in the wrong section, but I feel like the fine art of civil disagreement and personal rights arte dying, and what I want to kno is how can we maximize religious liberty, without taking things too far? Just my personal thoughts, please share yours.

I agree with what you say here.

 

[godnotgod]

Religious liberty: OK
Religious license: not OK
We need to strengthen separation of church and state.

Spiritual freedom: the best

 

[HonestJoe]

There shouldn’t need to be religious liberty as long as there is liberty in general. There’s no reason why someone who happens to be religious should have any more or less rights and freedoms as someone who isn’t and it shouldn’t make any difference whether what we’d like to do is based on religious preference or not.

The problem I have when people talk about concepts like “religious liberty” is that they’re often not just thinking about equal treatment but about them being give special treatment based on their religious beliefs. I don’t believe that can be in any way justified in a secular environment but it continues to be, both legally and culturally.

 

[Mox]

If you do not believe in the human right of freedom of religious thought & expression as found for example in article 9 of the ECHR, then you may as well call yourself Stalin.

This basic inalienable right is not designed to protect theists from atheists however, as some might think.

It's primarily intended to protect theists from other theists and religious authorities of differing denominations and faiths.

So for a religious person to oppose this human right. Is equatable to Turkeys voting for christmas.

 

[Estro Felino]

If you do not believe in the human right of freedom of religious thought & expression as found for example in article 9 of the ECHR, then you may as well call yourself Stalin.

Speaking of human rights, religions should be put in their place by the secular state to prevent them from harming people and their individualistic rights.

 

[Mox]

Speaking of human rights, religions should be put in their place by the secular state to prevent them from harming people and their individualistic rights.

Too right. With you all the way on that one.

I am one of the harshest critics of religion I know, I attack almost all religions relentlessly, but I totally buy into the human right of religious expression.

 

[Twilight Hue]

For ones own self and not forced on others, then religious liberty is a good thing provided it isnt false towards others. In which case i gotta wonder if they have victimized themselves with their chosen religion or perhaps they have become the oppressor, in which case i denounce the religion.

That's my take on it. I've always viewed religion as something personal with the understanding that not everyone is going to be privy to whatever is being practiced or followed.

 

[pearl]

My dance teacher told me a story of Satanists who protected a Muslim hate crime victim, and I asked what the Christians did to help, and she said they did not help. I personally feel that Christians and other religious adherents are straying from their core religious principles.

Ought not to judge by one story. I remember during the fallout of 9-11 Catholic parishes were asked to accompany Muslim neighbors to stores and to the Mosque. I'm sure many others did the same.
As for religious freedom it must include freedom from religion, the reason no religion was allowed to become the 'state' religion. If there is to be religious tolerance facts must be separated from gossip.
In serving the public ones religious beliefs ought not to infringe on Constitutional rights of others.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

IMO, religious freedom should be considered just one particular expression of larger freedoms like freedom of speech, assembly, conscience, etc., and not as a thing in its own right.

 

[YeshuaRedeemed]

Ought not to judge by one story. I remember during the fallout of 9-11 Catholic parishes were asked to accompany Muslim neighbors to stores and to the Mosque. I'm sure many others did the same.
As for religious freedom it must include freedom from religion, the reason no religion was allowed to become the 'state' religion. If there is to be religious tolerance facts must be separated from gossip.
In serving the public ones religious beliefs ought not to infringe on Constitutional rights of others.

Fair enough, I just believe in honesty.

 

[MonkeyFire]

As a religious pacifist, I do.