"You believe in religious freedom..?

Question

...Excellent! Would you like to come round on Saturday?I'm sacrificing my first-born to Moloch."
"What's that? You believe in freedom of religion for "reasonable" religions?"

What constitutes an unreasonable religion? Who gets to decide and on what grounds?
(Child sacrifice is deliberately extreme to establish the idea but there are real, but less clear-cut, issues)

Answer 1

Freedom of religions should be earned, not an automatic right. All churches should undergo a registration procedure to ensure that their practices, teachings and scriptures are compatible with generally accepted human rights. The UN Declaration of Human Rights could be the yardstick. Some religions, such as yours, would have to modify their beliefs and practices to become entitled to operate freely.

Answer 2

Good question... However, that depends on whether or not everyone has the same worldview on "freedom." We have seen throughout the history of mankind that one man's freedom can also be another man's prison (up to and including slavery and even physical death). There is no one-size-fits-all "hard definition" for freedom outside the freedom found in Christ. (This is an opinion deal. Right?) Should we be free to do as we wish/want? Should we have the freedom to do what is right? Does absolute freedom even exist? Should it? What price have we paid for freedom that brings about a Nazi Germany? A Jonestown or Waco? Over the course of a lifetime, I've had to re-evaluate and re-define my own sense of freedom. So how can we say what the standard for freedom is from one society to the next or from one culture to the next. Can I be free while I know that my brother/sister in another place is oppressed and a captive (whether spiritually or physically)? Again, my only true and absolute freedom comes by Christ. If I do not want to obey my superiors, I look to Christ and see the freedom in Him to do that obeyance as if I were serving Him... It's all relative to Christ for me. Europe has begun to lean more towards the secular world since WWII. The religious tolerance in France is rapidly deteriorating as it is in Spain. Although there seems to be a sweeping of Christian revival in the US, a deeper look will show that there is also a growing hatred for most forms of organized "religion" regardless of the belief systems of any particular group. Many Americans want take God completely out of the picture. Of course, that won't ever be a success but many will suffer. Personal opinion: I have a right to worship and according to the Constitution of the United States, I have a right to talk about it and tell you about it UNTIL you tell me to stop or say "No." After that, I am putting you in emotional/mental prison and I must back off and away. Per Jesus I am commanded to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God... However, if rejected I, I do not force a person to accept my choice but leave to one's own choice.

Answer 3

Actually we only believe in the government's obligation to stay out of your religion personally and everybody's religion collectively. That said, your first born has some rights and so does your goat or chicken - those rights supercede your right to do some things in your worship practice.

Allegedly, as long as the restrictions on religion are uniform (e.g. NO religion may sacrifice any living animal) they are constitutional. I say allegedly because we have *established* Theism as the American religion as a matter of fact with the pledge of allegiance and our coinage (and possilby some 10 commandments displays).

Answer 4

Religious freedom, in America, has set limits. There are laws protecting people from extremes in religious sects. It is illegal to snake handle in most communities (although there are some religions that still practice it in spite of the laws contrary). It is illegal to sacrifice someone, even if you are a Satanist. You need to do a little more homework on U.S. laws.

Answer 5

No you can't do that. You used child sacrifice as an example, and we have to examine that.
I believe in religious freedom, but to what extent? If not babies, what about sacrificial goats? What about baby goats??
I will have to respectfully decline your invitation to your son's sacrifice, but not because I don't believe it is a valid religion, only because I am not supportive of killing innocent things. If your child was evil, I might consider it.

Answer 6

Yes, I do. Sacrifce though, murder, would become a legal issue, a criminal one, and would no longer be about religion.

The funny thing about America is that you only have freedom, as long as YOUR freedom does not infringe on someone elses. So have all the religious freedom you want, just dont step on any toes, ok?

Answer 7

I think we split from england because of this fact and every man or woman should have this freedom how ever that is what iraq is all about too many different religions but that is their choice and we should not impose our rules and religion on them,,,,

Answer 8

Ok, you got your point across. People should be allowed religious freedom only if what they practice stays within the laws of the land. That's it, other than that, knock yourself out doing whatever you feel is right.

Answer 9

Yes

Answer 10

I believe that you have the freedom to pick your religion but you cannot cause others harm in that practice.