Freedom of religion  

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'''Freedom of religion''' is a principle that supports the [[Political freedom|freedom]] of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest [[religion]] or [[belief]] in [[religious education|teaching]], practice, [[worship]], and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to [[Religious conversion|change religion]] or [[Irreligion by country|not to follow any religion]]. Freedom of religion is considered by many people and nations to be a fundamental human right. Thomas Jefferson said (1807) "among the inestimable of our blessings, also, is that ...of liberty to worship our Creator in the way we think most agreeable to His will; ..." In a country with a [[state religion]], freedom of religion is generally considered to mean that the government permits religious practices of other sects besides the state religion, and does not [[religious persecution|persecute]] believers in other faiths. '''Freedom of religion''' is a principle that supports the [[Political freedom|freedom]] of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest [[religion]] or [[belief]] in [[religious education|teaching]], practice, [[worship]], and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to [[Religious conversion|change religion]] or [[Irreligion by country|not to follow any religion]]. Freedom of religion is considered by many people and nations to be a fundamental human right. Thomas Jefferson said (1807) "among the inestimable of our blessings, also, is that ...of liberty to worship our Creator in the way we think most agreeable to His will; ..." In a country with a [[state religion]], freedom of religion is generally considered to mean that the government permits religious practices of other sects besides the state religion, and does not [[religious persecution|persecute]] believers in other faiths.
-==Modern concerns==+===Secular law===
-In its 2011 annual report, the ''[[United States Commission on International Religious Freedom]]'' designated fourteen nations as "countries of particular concern". The commission chairman commented that these are nations whose conduct marks them as the world's worst religious freedom violators and human rights abusers. The fourteen nations designated were [[Burma]], [[China]], [[Egypt]], [[Eritrea]], [[Iran]], [[Iraq]], [[Nigeria]], [[North Korea]], [[Pakistan]], [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Sudan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Uzbekistan]], and [[Vietnam]]. Other nations on the commission's watchlist include [[Afghanistan]], [[Belarus]], [[Cuba]], [[India]], [[Indonesia]], [[Laos]], Russia, [[Somalia]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Turkey]], and [[Venezuela]].+Religious practice may also conflict with secular law, creating debates on religious freedom. For instance, even though [[polygamy]] is permitted in Islam, it is prohibited in secular law in many countries. This raises the question of whether prohibiting the practice infringes on the beliefs of certain Muslims. The US and [[India]], both constitutionally secular nations, have taken two different views of this. In India, polygamy is permitted, but only for Muslims, under Muslim Personal Law. In the US, polygamy is prohibited for all. This was a major source of conflict between the early [[LDS Church]] and the United States until the Church amended its position on practicing polygamy.
-There are concerns about the restrictions on public religious dress in some European countries (including the [[Hijab]], [[Kippah]], and [[Christian cross]]). Article 18 of the UN [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] limits restrictions on freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs to those necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. Freedom of religion as a legal concept is related to, but not identical with, religious toleration, [[separation of church and state]], or [[secular state]] (''[[laïcité]]'').+Similar issues have also arisen in the context of the religious use of [[psychedelic substance]]s by Native American tribes in the United States as well as other Native practices.
-===Social hostilities and government restrictions===+In 1955, Chief Justice of California [[Roger J. Traynor]] neatly summarized the American position on how freedom of religion cannot imply freedom from law: "Although freedom of conscience and the freedom to believe are absolute, the freedom to act is not." But with respect to the religious use of animals within secular law and those acts, the [[US Supreme Court]] decision in the case of the ''[[Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah]]'' in 1993 upheld the right of Santeria adherents to practice ritual [[animal sacrifice]], with Justice Anthony Kennedy stating in the decision: "religious beliefs need not be acceptable, logical, consistent or comprehensible to others in order to merit First Amendment protection" (quoted by Justice Kennedy from the opinion by Justice Burger in ''[[Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division]]'' {{ussc|450|707|1981}}).
-The [[Pew Research Center]] has performed studies on international religious freedom between 2009 and 2015, compiling global data from 16 governmental and non-governmental organizations–including the United Nations, the [[United States State Department]], and [[Human Rights Watch]]–and representing over 99.5 percent of the world's population. In 2009, nearly 70 percent of the world's population lived in countries classified as having heavy restrictions on freedom of religion. This concerns restrictions on religion originating from government prohibitions on [[free speech]] and religious expression as well as social hostilities undertaken by private individuals, organisations and social groups. Social hostilities were classified by the level of [[communal violence]] and [[Religious terrorism|religion-related terrorism]].+In 2015, [[Kim Davis (county clerk)|Kim Davis]], a [[Kentucky]] county clerk, refused to abide by the Supreme Court decision in ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]'' legalizing [[Same-sex marriage in the United States]]. When she refused to issue marriage licenses, she became embroiled in the ''[[Miller v. Davis]]'' lawsuit. Her actions caused attorney and author [[Roberta Kaplan]] to state that "Kim Davis is the clearest example of someone who wants to use a religious liberty argument to discriminate."
- +
-While most countries provided for the protection of religious freedom in their constitutions or laws, only a quarter of those countries were found to fully respect these legal rights in practice. In 75 countries governments limit the efforts of religious groups to proselytise and in 178 countries religious groups must register with the government. In 2013, Pew classified 30% of countries as having restrictions that tend to target religious minorities, and 61% of countries have social hostilities that tend to target religious minorities.+
- +
-The countries in [[North America|North]] and [[South America]] reportedly had some of the lowest levels of ''government'' and ''social'' restrictions on religion, while [[The Middle East]] and North Africa were the regions with the highest. [[Saudi Arabia]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Iran]] were the countries that top the list of countries with the ''overall'' highest levels of restriction on religion. Topping the Pew government restrictions index were Saudi Arabia, Iran, [[Uzbekistan]], [[China]], [[Egypt]], [[Burma]], Maldives, [[Eritrea]], [[Malaysia]] and [[Brunei]].+
- +
-Of the world's 25 most populous countries, Iran, [[Egypt]], [[Indonesia]] and [[Pakistan]] had the most restrictions, while [[Brazil]], Japan, Italy, South Africa, the UK, and the US had some of the lowest levels, as measured by Pew.+
- +
-[[Vietnam]] and [[China]] were classified as having high ''government'' restrictions on religion but were in the moderate or low range when it came to ''social'' hostilities. [[Nigeria]], [[Bangladesh]] and [[India]] were high in ''social'' hostilities but moderate in terms of ''government'' actions.+
- +
-Restrictions on religion across the world increased between mid-2009 and mid-2010, according to a 2012 study by the [[Pew Research Center]]. Restrictions in each of the five major regions of the world increased—including in the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa, the two regions where overall restrictions previously had been declining. In 2010, [[Egypt]], [[Nigeria]], the [[Palestinian territories]], Russia, and [[Yemen]] were added to the "very high" category of social hostilities.+
==See also== ==See also==
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* [[International Religious Liberty Association]] * [[International Religious Liberty Association]]
* [[Jehovah's Witnesses and civil liberties in the United States]] * [[Jehovah's Witnesses and civil liberties in the United States]]
 +* [[Kim Davis]]
* [[Laïcité]] * [[Laïcité]]
* [[North American Religious Liberty Association]] * [[North American Religious Liberty Association]]
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* [[State religion]] * [[State religion]]
* [[Warsaw Confederation (1573)]] * [[Warsaw Confederation (1573)]]
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Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any religion. Freedom of religion is considered by many people and nations to be a fundamental human right. Thomas Jefferson said (1807) "among the inestimable of our blessings, also, is that ...of liberty to worship our Creator in the way we think most agreeable to His will; ..." In a country with a state religion, freedom of religion is generally considered to mean that the government permits religious practices of other sects besides the state religion, and does not persecute believers in other faiths.

[edit]

Secular law

Religious practice may also conflict with secular law, creating debates on religious freedom. For instance, even though polygamy is permitted in Islam, it is prohibited in secular law in many countries. This raises the question of whether prohibiting the practice infringes on the beliefs of certain Muslims. The US and India, both constitutionally secular nations, have taken two different views of this. In India, polygamy is permitted, but only for Muslims, under Muslim Personal Law. In the US, polygamy is prohibited for all. This was a major source of conflict between the early LDS Church and the United States until the Church amended its position on practicing polygamy.

Similar issues have also arisen in the context of the religious use of psychedelic substances by Native American tribes in the United States as well as other Native practices.

In 1955, Chief Justice of California Roger J. Traynor neatly summarized the American position on how freedom of religion cannot imply freedom from law: "Although freedom of conscience and the freedom to believe are absolute, the freedom to act is not." But with respect to the religious use of animals within secular law and those acts, the US Supreme Court decision in the case of the Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah in 1993 upheld the right of Santeria adherents to practice ritual animal sacrifice, with Justice Anthony Kennedy stating in the decision: "religious beliefs need not be acceptable, logical, consistent or comprehensible to others in order to merit First Amendment protection" (quoted by Justice Kennedy from the opinion by Justice Burger in Thomas v. Review Board of the Indiana Employment Security Division Template:Ussc).

In 2015, Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk, refused to abide by the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalizing Same-sex marriage in the United States. When she refused to issue marriage licenses, she became embroiled in the Miller v. Davis lawsuit. Her actions caused attorney and author Roberta Kaplan to state that "Kim Davis is the clearest example of someone who wants to use a religious liberty argument to discriminate."

[edit]

See also


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