Which do you prefer: Freedom OF religion or freedom FROM religion?

Question

Why I'm asking is because China seems to be an example of freedom FROM religion and the following is a popular atheist organization:
http://www.ffrf.org/index2.php

Answer 1

+ Freedom of religion +

The entire world agreed to include freedom of religion in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. See Article 2: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

The citizens of the United States think this freedom is just as important as the freedoms of speech or the press. All are part of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.billofrights.html

Even the Catholic Church seeks and supports the freedom of religion for all human beings.

In the Vatican II document, Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae (Human Dignity), the Church states:

The human person has a right to religious freedom. This freedom means that all men are to be immune from coercion on the part of individuals or of social groups and of any human power, in such wise that no one is to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his own beliefs, whether privately or publicly, whether alone or in association with others, within due limits.

For the entire document, see: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651207_dignitatis-humanae_en.html

+ China +

Sadly. There is little or no freedom of religion in China.

The neighborhood Catholic Churches in China are under the authority of the Chinese government, not the Pope.

The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association is a division of the People's Republic of China's Religious Affairs Bureau to exercise state supervision over mainland China's Catholics. The Communist Party of China wants no organization in mainland China owing allegiance to "foreign influence", in this case, every other Catholic on the planet including the Pope.

Ever since it's creation in the 1950's, the Catholic Church has deplored the attitude and activities of the Association and declared the bishops who participated in consecrating new bishops selected by the Association to be excommunicated.

It is estimated that there are 13 million Catholics in China, 8 million following the underground church still loyal to Rome and 5 million following the officially sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

I don't think you can have true freedom of religion without allowing for the freedom from religion. If someone is free to choose, that means they have the freedom to choose "none of the above", "I don't know", or "I don't care", as well.

Peace to you.

Answer 3

The presence of God will set someone free from religion. So, give me freedom FROM religion; the world would be a much happier place.

Answer 4

Freedom of religion.
People have an inherent right to the free expression of religion. That includes Muslim teachers who want to pray in the middle of the school day, Christian politicians who want to pray during the town council meeting, and Asatru heathens who want to invoke Odin (or whatever) in their graduation ceremonies. Freedom for all, regardless of faith, as long as it doesn't prohibit the freedom of other adults.

Answer 5

Freedom From Religion. That's actually a good phrase, I'm gonna start using that.

Answer 6

I don't know about China. But I'd like to answer your question from a true Christian perspective.

I'd prefer freedom FROM religion. Why? Because religion is man made. It is man's effort to get to God or to control God or to manipulate God or to just be in control of the One Who created mankind.

Christianity, on the other hand, is God's effort to get to man. He loves us and is our Creator and wants a relationship with us. He gives us another chance at an honest relationship with Him through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus.

So, I prefer freedom FROM religion.

Answer 7

They bypass hand in hand, and that i can assist them the two....the believer of a different faith and the non -believer. What does scare me, is the 'faith' that upholds "honor killings". homicide in my united states of america is a criminal offense, freedom of religion is secure decrease than the regulation.....while the two collide, that is going to shake our cherished shape to its middle. do we, the USofA, in our contemporary "politically appropriate' techniques-set, be sure that our very own shape is against the regulation or repressive? Even 10 years in the past, i might have scoffed at this concept, as we talk, I worry it.

Answer 8

Both.

Freedom of religion lets you choose what religion you want to be without state coercion.

Freedom from religion lets you choose whether or not to be religious at all without state coercion.

I don't think the policies in China qualify for either.

Answer 9

i would like to have both freedom to choose my own religion and freedom to live my life without having to endure someone else's in the form of national pledges and public prayer.

Answer 10

I prefer the freedom for each person to decide what they want to believe about any and all gods.