Religious Freedom
According to Major World Religions
12 Jan 2017 Alison
Lesley World Religion News
How different religious groups feel about
religious freedom.
January 16 is Religious Freedom Day, a day
when we celebrate the right to practice religion freely, while for
at least a while setting aside the controversy and debate that
surrounds the ideal of religious freedom. It commemorates the
Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom adopted on January 16, 1786,
which, according to President Barack Obama in his presidential
proclamation on Religious Freedom Day last year, “formed a
blueprint for what would become the basis for the protection of
religious liberty enshrined in our constitution.” Thomas Jefferson
wrote the statute, which proclaims “all men shall be free to
profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of
religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or
affect their civil capacities.” Americans are called upon to
observe the day appropriately in their homes, schools and places of
worship.
In the spirit of Religious Freedom Day, World
Religion News has compiled what various major religious
denominations say about religious freedom.
What ideas do different faiths have about
religious freedom?
According to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (LDS), religious freedom does not only mean
freedom to believe, but to act and speak on one’s beliefs as
well.
“Religious freedom is more than just the
freedom to believe what you want. It’s also the freedom to talk
about and act on your core beliefs without interference from
government or others, except when necessary to protect health and
safety. It also allows people with similar beliefs to form
religious organizations that govern their own affairs.”
William Penn, an early member of the Quakers
and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the colony which would
become the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, gave his Charter of
Privileges which became the earliest prototype for the United
States Bill of Rights. The Charter reflected the 50 years of
persecution the Quakers suffered in Britain and
proclaimed:
“…no persons who shall confess and acknowledge
the One Almighty God…; and profess…themselves, obliged to live
quietly under the civil government, shall be in any case molested
or prejudiced…because of…conscientious persuasion or practice, nor
be compelled to frequent or maintain any religious worship or
ministry contrary to …their mind, or to do or suffer any other act
or thing contrary to their religious persuasion.”
Pope Francis spoke about the unavoidable
influence of religion on society and the nation. He stated
that:
“Religion [cannot] be relegated to the inner
sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and
national life.”
According to the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops website:
“If religious liberty is not respected, all
people suffer and are deprived of the essential contribution to the
common good, be it in education, health care, feeding the hungry,
civil rights, and social services that the Church and other people
of faith make every day, both here at home and
overseas.”
In 2015, Pope Francis also spoke about
religious freedom in front of the historic building in
Philadelphia, PA where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
He declared the right to religious freedom:
“is a fundamental right which shapes the way
we interact socially and personally with our neighbors whose
religious views differ from our own.”
Several Baptist men in history have staunchly
fought for religious freedom, suffering persecution and even
sacrificing their own lives. For example, Thomas Helwys questioned
the King’s overarching authority on religious matters which caused
him to be thrown in prison, where he died. Baptists believe that
integral to religious freedom are biblical truths that include: the
freedom to follow Christ, the freedom to read and interpret the
Bible, the freedom to be baptized, the freedom to choose and
support a church, the freedom to govern a church and the freedom to
witness and minister. Baptists also believe that we must guard
religious freedom, uphold the separation of church and state and
use freedom for the benefits of others.
According to Rabbi Alderstein, the Jewish
attitude towards religious freedom is inevitably intertwined with
consistency with what the Jewish law prescribes. The rabbi points
out two parts of Jewish law that shape the discussion of religious
freedom. First is exclusivity, in that Jewish law proscribes that
the righteous nations of the world will be a part of
heaven.
“Any religion that claims exclusivity in
holding the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven has difficulty in making
room for The Other.”
The second is responsibility for the misdeeds
of others, which comes in two forms – punishing the sinner (that
Jews have no jurisdiction over the lives of non-Jews and therefore
do not feel compelled to “root out the infidel”) and dissociating
from the sins of others.
Buddhism also does not preach exclusivity in that it
deems its followers free to learn the teachings of other religions.
Buddha himself encouraged his followers to learn from other
religions and view their teachings comparatively with that of
Buddhist teachings. Buddha taught that if one can garner reasonable
and rational teachings in other religions, Buddhists have the
freedom to respect them; and the choice of religion depends upon
free choice.
The Church of Scientology
is a strong defender of the ideals
of religious freedom. In the Creed of the Church of Scientology, it
is written:
“We of the Church believe: that all men of
whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights. That
all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices
and their performance.”
In the Code of a Scientologist, Scientologists
also pledge to support the freedom of religion. In addition,
Scientologists pray “A Prayer For Total Freedom,” which
states:
“We think of those whose liberty is
threatened; of those who have suffered imprisonment for their
beliefs; of those who are enslaved or martyred, and for all those
who are brutalized, trapped or attacked. We pray that human
rights will be preserved so that all people may believe and worship
freely, so that freedom will once again be seen in our
land.”
Hinduism considers itself a religion of
freedom.
“Hinduism allows absolute freedom to the
rational mind of man. Hinduism never demands any undue restraint
upon the freedom of human reason, the freedom of thought, feeling
and will of man…It allows the widest freedom in matters of faith
and worship. It allows absolute freedom to the human reason and
heart with regard to questions such as the nature of God, soul,
creation, form of worship, and goal of life. It does not force
anybody to accept particular dogmas or forms of worship. It allows
everybody to reflect, investigate, enquire and
cogitate.”
The Quran in the Islam faith
teaches that religious belief is
up to the person’s choice. Accepting the truth is for his own good
and rejecting it is to his own detriment. Some quotations in the
text show this:
“The Truth is from your Lord; so let him who
please believe and let him who please disbelieve.” —
18:29
“Clear proofs have indeed come to you from
your Lord: so whoever sees, it is for his own good; and whoever is
blind, it is to his own harm. And I am not a keeper over you.” —
6:104
Abdul-Baha, son of Baha’u’llah and appointed
head of the Bahai faith in 1892, had this to say
about religious liberty:
“In the religion of God, there is no practice
of declaring believers to be morally corrupt or of declaring them
not believers, nor is debasing or showing contempt for others
permitted.”
“The shining spark of truth cometh forth only
after the clash of differing opinions” and “The conscience of man
is sacred and to be respected.”
The Satanic Temple
teaches:
“The freedoms of others should be respected,
including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach
upon the freedoms of another is to forego your own.”
In 1999, the Circle Sanctuary, one of
America’s oldest Wiccan churches, defended the right of Wiccans in
the Military to practice their religion. The Wiccans freedom to
practice their faith was attacked by several federal government
officials. Anti-Wiccan legislation was not passed in Congress and
did not succeed. Another positive outcome of the Wiccans’ battle to
practice their religion was that people came to better understand
the Wiccan religion and paganism, because of the extensive media
coverage that ensued as a result of the controversy.