I found this article on religious freedom interesting. I do agree that it seems that government, while claiming neutrality, is becoming more involved in religious debates. Yet at the same time, religion has always played its part within government. It is somewhat amusing and sad to me that in the U.S. people are so incredibly sensitive to phrases like, “In God We Trust”, “One Nation Under God” which have been a part of the nation from the beginning that they fight venomously against them being on coins or saying the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. While on the other hand look at religious belonging of presidential campaigns as a requirement and sometimes discrediting if not religious or from a wrong religion. It’s too bad that people focus so much an little things like this rather than larger issues, religious or not.
A few other points in the article that I thought were interesting included that 70 percent of the world population did not experience religious freedom, which is a lot higher than I thought it would be. I am sure that it is devastating to families to deal with religious persecutions. It can even be more troubling if family members are members of different religious groups. I know that when my father was baptized into the LDS church in Germany at 17 years old, his parents kicked him out. Fortunately, he has made amends with his father but his mother was very anti-LDS until her death even though my family, the only LDS members on my father’s side, were the only people willing to take care of her. If it wasn’t so sad and often destructive, the intolerance people have towards each other would be almost comical.
Also interesting is that the UN would probably not be able to pass a religious freedom declaration today like the one that exists; o.k. that really isn’t very surprising but it is still refreshing to hear someone say it out loud.
I am always suspicious of what I read in newspaper articles. Assuming that all the trends discussed in this article are true, it presents a disturbing picture of the future. If I may quote again Thomas Paine: "By engendering the church with the state, a sort of mule-animal, capable only of destroying, and not of breeding up, is produced, called the Church established by Law. It is a stranger, even from its birth, to any parent mother, on whom it is begotten, and whom in time it kicks out and destroys."
ReplyDeleteEstablishment of one religion by law while persecuting minority religions is dangerous, and, as Paine says, leads not only to the destruction of the state, but also takes the religion from its original intent and aim. The banning of minarets in Switzerland and the recent mess with the misapplication of blasphemy laws are certainly disturbing.
Very interesting article find David!
ReplyDeleteIt definitely brings up some thought provoking questions that seem to cross all sides of the "religous aisles". It is funny that here in the US we espouse religious freedom when we are trying to protect our own religion but protest it when it involves a different religion (for example the building of a Mosque near ground zero). Like freedom of speech it a constitutional right that we hold onto tightly until it doesn't work in our favor. However, despite all of this I have ahd a few times in my life where I have been reminded just how lucky we are to have religious freedom and just what that means. I often wonder if we would be as religious if we had to fear for our lives if we deomonstrated our religion. Just thoughts.