Religious Freedom (2)

Students Name

Professor Cathy Clay

English Composition 1301

Date

Religious FreedomAccording to an article by the BBC, the belief in supreme deities is an inevitable consequence of evolution (Ambrosino). Religion has existed since time immemorial and can be dated as far back as the 2nd Century with traces of Judaism, Jainism, and Buddhism, among many others. Where religion was ingrained since infancy, it is difficult to detach oneself from it because, for many, they feel lost without it. Therefore, they pass it down to their next lineage and generations to come. Religion is described as the belief and worship of a supreme deity. Religion can be classified into different groups depending on the number of gods, no belief in god, and the belief in non-human gods. For example, the belief in many gods is called polytheism and was/is practiced by ancient Greeks, while the belief in one god is termed as monotheism which is visible in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. On the other hand, animism believes that animals or a plant are supreme beings like the Shinto, while atheism is the belief in no deity. Contrary to the olden times where religion was rigid, sometimes oppressive, and more often mandatory, today’s world enjoys religious freedoms in so many ways.

According to the First Amendment in the United States Constitution, citizens have the absolute right to practice whatever religion they deem fit so long as they do not interfere with the public’s stand on morality or any government interest. Religious freedom is an important right that is classified together with rights of free speech and expression. Because of this provision in the constitution, any American citizen can join an existent religious group of their choice or start their own while protected by the Federal government even if they do not subscribe to any religion. However, there are legal processes needed for one to create their own religion. These include having a defined hierarchy of leadership and worship practices, a clear distinction from existent faiths, and, most importantly, a specific and purposeful belief. With the existence of religious freedom and the forbiddance of the government to claim any religion as the ‘national religion,’ America is one of the most diverse countries in terms of religion. There exist at ten seven religions, including unaffiliated ones. According to the 2020 Census, Christians made up the most significant percentage (71%) of the population, with the rest identifying as either Muslim, Jewish or, Buddhists. However, 14% of the total population did not affiliate themselves with any religion.

By allowing people to pursue the desires of their hearts, the freedom of religion will enable them to become wholesome human beings. This is because many believers find their purpose in religion, and through this, they work towards becoming better individuals. According to the theory of determinism, human beings do not act on free will but rather control all the occurrences in their lives (Müller and Placek). For many, this controller is a supreme being. It is important to respect religious freedoms because diversity comes with advantages. First, all religions have a particular set of rules and moral conduct that their believers follow. These rules, which are mainly positive, like the condemnation of killing, stealing, and lying, helps in regulating the everyday lives of the believers and prevent them from acting in a disorderly or barbaric manner. This can be attributed to the fact that people act according to their beliefs and will follow the values that their religions instill in them. Similarly, religious freedom allows the community to coexist cohesively because then no religion is supreme, and where everyone is represented, no one can be discriminated against. Additionally, when people are deprived of the freedom of religion, they are bound to become rebellious because then, a purpose has been taken away from them.

With religious freedom, no citizen should be discriminated against or looked down upon because of their religious beliefs or choices. At no poi t should a school deny a child admission because of their religious background. Similarly, employers have no right to look into or deny an eligible candidate employment on the basis of religious beliefs. Additionally, schools and other organizations should ensure that they accommodate the different religions in their establishments. For example, the exemption of Muslim workers from their duties on Fridays for their noon prayers. It also, allowing them to wear their hijabs because it is a religious requirement. In schools that students are provided with food, the management should ensure that its diet can accommodate e the different religions present. For example, it is wrong to force Muslims to eat pork because pork is haram according to their Holy Book, Quran. In case this happens, it is the legal right of the victim to sue those in authority for religious discrimination. However, it is saddening that, like racism, there are people who profile others on the grounds of religion. After the 9/11 terrorist attack, Muslims in America have been reported to face profiling because a group of Islam extremists conducted the heinous act. While many acknowledge that Muslims are usually profiled, they gave the reason they think their religion propels violence, a notion that has been demystified several times.

Although religious freedoms have been advantageous, there are instances where it has deemed themselves harmful. This is the reason countries like China, India, Pakistan, and Tajikistan limit religious freedom. First, with governments allowing people to practice and start religions as they deem fit, some start religions for narcissistic and malicious reasons. Instead of giving people hope and a purpose, they misuse their followers to derive their agendas. This explains the rise of occultism in countries that have religious freedom. For example, Jim Jones was a famous cult leader who started his church called The People’s Temple. Not only did he oppress his followers by having sexual intercourse with them, but he introduced communal living through which he exploited them financially. In the end, he made his followers commit mass suicide by telling them that a better world awaited them in the life of the dead. Masked as a revolutionary leader who promised racial and gender equality, Jim Jones orchestrated the death of over 900 people (Conroy). This is one of the disadvantages of religious freedom. If America did not let anyone start to believe in whatever they wanted, then the lives of 918 individuals from the Jonestown massacre would have been saved.

In a country like Rwanda, the citizens enjoy religious freedom, but in 2018, President Kagame ordered the shutdown of more the 8000 places of worship, including churches and Mosques (Ssuuna). According to his argument, the religious scene in his country was lucrative and vibrant because some leaders took it upon themselves to make religion profitable. Albeit exploiting their followers, the places of worship were not in proper condition to host many people with failure to comply with noise pollution and other building standards, which endangered the lives of their followers. In a bid to discourage anyone from starting religious places of worship because of greed, the President put out a law that regulated religious organizations. According to the law, an individual in Rwanda may start leading or start a place of worship if they possess a degree in theology. While he faced opposition from his fellow countrymen and international activists who claimed his agenda was to make Rwanda a secular country, it is evident that he was acting in the best interest of Rwandese citizens. In the same year, two people died, and at least twenty were injured after a church collapsed due to improper structures. Again, a tragedy that would have been prevented if not anyone could start a religious group and move along with it.

The freedom to believe and worship whatever deity an individual wants is a fundamental right that anyone should not take away. It is also right for individuals to start their own religions if they have a manifesto that is allowed according to their countries of operations. However, governments should have control and limitation over these freedoms to avoid adverse repercussions like the mass murder in Jonestown. As it is, the constitution only limits religious liberties if it is not in line with the societal and governmental aspects of the country. However, authorities should start looking into specific spiritual aspects before legalizing a religion. For example, a religion whose members die of illnesses that can be treated by Western medicine but do not permit its believers to access healthcare should be deregistered and curbed from further growth. Similarly, when a religion incites its believers to conduct extremist practices like forcing or killing non-believers, that religion deserves no freedom of operation.

In conclusion, there should also be a clear and defined line between the government and the religion to avoid some religions being treated as minorities. For example, suppose a president is sworn in using the Bible. In that case, the country may lean towards Christianity, and the Muslims, Hindus, and other religions may feel underrepresented. On the other hand, religious freedom has benefits that propel people to become their best selves because they want to stay in line with their religious values. Therefore, if a religion does not bring friction in societal values, does not oppress or endanger the lives of its believers, neither does it prove disruptive to the government, then people should be free to abide by it, no matter who or what they are worshipping.

Works Cited

Ambrosino, Brandon. “Do Humans Have a ‘Religion Instinct’?” BBC Future, 30 May 2019, www.bbc.com/future/article/20190529-do-humans-have-a-religion-instinct.

Conroy, Oliver. “An Apocalyptic Cult, 900 Dead: Remembering the Jonestown Massacre, 40 Years On.” The Guardian, 21 Nov. 2018, www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/17/an-apocalyptic-cult-900-dead-remembering-the-jonestown-massacre-40-years-on.

Müller, Thomas, and Tomasz Placek. “Defining determinism.” The British journal for the philosophy of science 69.1 (2018): 215-252.

Ssuuna, Ignatius. “Rwanda Closes Thousands of Churches in Bid for More Control.” AP NEWS, 4 Apr. 2018, apnews.com/article/0cb3835fb3504e9da4cda27d7810499b