Do you find religion conflicts with freedoms ?

Question

It would seem that abortion as well as gay rights conflict with the freedom of choice as most understand it . I just put out there for reasoning . If the rights are denied on only one person this would be the same thing as repression of a persons beleif .

Answer 1

This is actually a major issue in congress and good for you for noticing that a lot of our laws are influenced by religous belief.

There are many programs that are working on making our government more towards the opinions of everyone rather than religous only.

I agree with you. For example, gay rights are only being suppressed because of what "the bible says" which is ironic because many gay people might not even be religious!! (because it is "wrong" in gods eyes)
There are other issues such as stem cell research and abortion.

Go to defcon.org if you are interested in raising your voice on the religon-constitution debate.

Hope this helps! =)

Answer 2

Without religion as a guide for these issues, there are legitimate reasons for opposing these issues. Is religion really what causes the conflicts with "freedom of choice"?

The answer to your question is NO.
I choose my religion and so I follow its rules.
When I push my beliefs down your throat and don't allow you to make your own choice, it is me not my religion.

When the rules are made by what the majority of the population think is right, it is democracy. If the belief of the majority are religious then it is still democracy.

I choose to use a 3 gallon per flush toilet instead of a 1.6 gallon toilet. However its been mandated by the US gov. that only 1.6 gallon units can be purchased.

I choose not to wear a seatbelt. Mandated use by the US despite all of the claims of people that survived crashes only because they were not wearing seatbelts.

I want to rent a car. I can't until I am 25yrs old and have a credit card. Yet age discrimination is illegal as the Gov. has said so. Yet I can't run for president until I'm 35.

I believe that the US government is not using tax dollars correctly.
I choose not to pay taxes. As we all know, this is not an alternative.

Abortion Rights:
A fetus is alive. So why do people insist that is OK to kill their unborn child. What if I wanted to abort my 9 year old daughter because she is interfering with my career? This sounds like a double standard to me and double standards are against my belief so if the standard is that ending the life of an unborn child is ok then it should be accepted for any post birth child.
Abortion is wrong when used as a form of birth control. It should be an option for people that are raped, incest, severe retardation or deformation and if the mothers health is in danger. However the two choices in this conflict are all abortion is legal or no abortion is legal. This is "all or nothing" thinking and only proves that neither side has reasoned their position.

Sure gays should have rights. The same rights as every individual has.

Should they have the right to marry? Well lets just say yes and get them all married if they want. Then they can share their insurance and benefits and all other privileges of marriage.
With that said, why can't I marry my Dad, my son, brother, cousin or grandfather? They are all male and since we can't have children together that throws out the argument of inbreeding, child deformations and retardation. So now I have the privilege of getting the tax breaks and being able to provide better health coverage for my partner that just happens to be closely related to me.
Lets get more traditional. I mary my Mom, daughter, cousin, sister or grandmother. Shouldn't I have the right to do so? What if I love my sister and we are in a sexual relationship. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Is it our right to be able to marry? If it is what we both want and it harms nobody and this is a free country how can they deny my right to mary the person I love?

What if I am different, God made me this way or I was born this way it doesn't matter. I just know that every since I was little I loved dogs and as I matured I discovered that I was sexually attracted to them. It can't be wrong because this is how I feel. What rights do I have? How can I protect our relationship. I want to marry the best companion I have ever had? What are our rights?
Especially since my canine partner consents to all of our physical encounters. Whats the harm?

I am very attracted to my best friends 8 year old daughter.........

Where does it end? Where are the lines?

Answer 3

You have the right to believe anything -- that's the freedom of religion. Freedom of religion does not mean that you get everything that your religion wants. So, freedom of religion does not itself conflict with other freedoms.

On the other hand, a specific religion can conflict with other freedoms, usually when the religion teaches that its followers should not do something that is allowed by law (have abortions, be gay, drink, dance, etc.) In that case, the conflict doesn't come from freedom, but from the religion.

For example, if drinking is legal and your religion teaches that it's wrong, you can abstain from alcohol with no penalty. However, if alcohol is illegal (because someone else's religion teaches that it's wrong) but an important of your faith is drinking wine, you cannot consume alcohol without threat of punishment.

Hope I answered your question!

Answer 4

Of course religion conflicts with true freedom. To say that our society and our laws are not influenced by religion would be ridiculous...recently our Senate had a debate over the constitutional ban on gay marriage. Why? Because our great President (sarcasm) believes that we need to honor the sanctity of marriage. Sanctity is a term referring to the "holiness" of something. Holy, is most definitely a religious term. So, how can they pass this law, with absolutely no reason, other than it says so in the Bible? We do have a much higher law...called Seperation of Church and State. The state cannot and should not involve itself in the Church. Stopping marriage between two people in love, would clearly be interfering with RELIGION. Until someone can tell me, what it is that makes gay marriage such an awful thing, in words that don't involve Bible, God, or Religion. I might agree with you. Until then, give these people the rights they deserve as equal human beings.

Answer 5

People are human and many make very bad choices.
Humans also make the laws concerning freedoms, some
very bad. Rights have to be denied at times. makes sense.
Society might be better off without "open" freedoms.

Answer 6

I'm glad you made the distinction between religion and Christian belief. Believing in God and in Christ's teaching is purely a choice for everyone. Those who believe and chose to be obedient to God's laws do so by choice or its not a relationship built on faith and love. Religion, on the other hand, is generally built on guilt, fear, and manmade dogma designed to exert power and control. Big difference!

Answer 7

Sure. Religion causes many problems. With Christianity so intertwined with our system you would have to be retarded not to see it. Not believing earns criticism and believing in something else is "even worse" in America. The government is ran by the zealous. America is in a crusade.

Answer 8

I don't think religion conflicts, but I think narrow minded bigots do, and some of them use religion as an excuse.

Answer 9

No indeed! Religion is worship of God, or a god, or gods, abortion is killing an unborn human being, and a homosexual has all the same freedoms as any other homosexual.

Answer 10

Yes.