Coriolan
Elite member
- Messages
- 216
- Reaction score
- 88
- Points
- 28
I will state it outright from the start. I am not religious and I do not like proselytizing religions and people who tell me what I should believe in. The world has been shaped by American ideals since 1945 and one of those ideals is freedom of religion. I am in general in favor of most forms of freedom as long as they do not restrict other people's freedom or encroach on their wellbeing. That is why I have a problem with freedom of religion. Give Christians and Muslims complete freedom to exercise their cult and soon you end up with missionaries knocking at your door trying to convert you, or religious zealots trying to instill their values in schools or on other people.
Religion is not just a belief system, it is also a set of values, and some of them are incompatible with the laws and values of many developed societies. The wave of liberalization of gay marriage through the Western world is a good example that modern values are at odd with traditional religious values. That is why I strongly believe that freedom of religion should be subordinated to a country's legal system. The law must always prevail over religious values and dogmas.
My other problem with religious freedom is that religion often infiltrates education and that many religious dogmas claim things that go against science. Science is the central pillar of modern society. Without science there would be no modern technology, no modern lifestyle. Is it acceptable that let adults mess with children's heads by teaching them that evolution is a myth or that there is a human-like god with supernatural powers that can influence their lives or want them to carry out some "divine missions" on earth ? This can be very dangerous. Even if it is not, it hinders many vital freedoms, like freedom of thinking, and put these children at a disadvantage compared to other kids when learning about sciences. Fundamentalist religious education can lower your kids' grades and prospects in life. So is it ok to authorize it just in the name of religious freedom ? Is it idea of religious freedom more important than other freedoms and success in life ? Certainly not. This is why I propose that religious freedom must always be subordinated to other freedoms. Religious freedom should be a conditional freedom, one that can exist only if it respect other values of a modern secular society.
Religion is not just a belief system, it is also a set of values, and some of them are incompatible with the laws and values of many developed societies. The wave of liberalization of gay marriage through the Western world is a good example that modern values are at odd with traditional religious values. That is why I strongly believe that freedom of religion should be subordinated to a country's legal system. The law must always prevail over religious values and dogmas.
My other problem with religious freedom is that religion often infiltrates education and that many religious dogmas claim things that go against science. Science is the central pillar of modern society. Without science there would be no modern technology, no modern lifestyle. Is it acceptable that let adults mess with children's heads by teaching them that evolution is a myth or that there is a human-like god with supernatural powers that can influence their lives or want them to carry out some "divine missions" on earth ? This can be very dangerous. Even if it is not, it hinders many vital freedoms, like freedom of thinking, and put these children at a disadvantage compared to other kids when learning about sciences. Fundamentalist religious education can lower your kids' grades and prospects in life. So is it ok to authorize it just in the name of religious freedom ? Is it idea of religious freedom more important than other freedoms and success in life ? Certainly not. This is why I propose that religious freedom must always be subordinated to other freedoms. Religious freedom should be a conditional freedom, one that can exist only if it respect other values of a modern secular society.