freedom of religion

Examples of freedom of religion in the following topics:

• Secularism and the Future of Religion

  • Most modern Western societies are recognized as secular because they enjoy near-complete freedom of religion.
  • In studies of religion, modern Western societies are generally recognized as secular.
  • This is due to the near-complete freedom of religion, the fact that beliefs on religion generally are not subject to legal or social sanctions.
  • This can refer to reducing ties between a government and a state religion, replacing laws based on scripture with civil laws, and eliminating discrimination on the basis of religion.
  • Some evidence suggests that the fastest growing religious status in the United States is "no religion" Irreligion is the absence of religion, an indifference towards religion, a rejection of religion, or hostility towards religion.

• Religion in the U.S.

  • Due to the First Amendment, which grants freedom of religion, there is a diversity of religious beliefs and practices in the U.S.
  • The separation of the church and state has allowed the private practice of diverse religions.
  • A wide variety of religious choices have been available to the U.S. population due to the First Amendment of the Constitution, which allows freedom of religion.
  • The framers of the Constitution modeled the provisions concerning religion within the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and rejected any religious test for office.
  • Speaking at the Toronto-based Center for New Religions, Wood said that the freedom of conscience and assembly allowed under such a system has led to a "remarkable religiosity" in the United States that isn't present in other industrialized nations.

• Religious Diversity

  • A majority of Americans report that religion plays a "very important" role in their lives, a proportion unique among developed nations.
  • According to the census, religion in the United States is comprised of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the unaffiliated, including atheists or agnostics.
  • The largest religion in the United States is Christianity, practiced by the majority of the population.
  • Interfaith dialogue refers to dialogue between members of different religions for the goal of reducing conflicts between their religions and to achieve agreed upon mutually desirable goals.
  • Freedom of religion encompasses all religions acting within the law in a particular region, whether or not an individual religion accepts that other religions are legitimate or that freedom of religious choice and religious plurality, in general, are good things.

• Theories of Religion

  • These theories approach religion from slightly different perspectives, trying to explain: (1) the function of religion in society; (2) the role of religion in the life of the individual; and (3) the nature (and origin) of religion.
  • The existence of religious pluralism depends on the existence of freedom of religion.
  • Freedom of religion is when different religions of a particular region possess the same rights of worship and public expression.
  • Freedom of religion is consequently weakened when one religion is given rights or privileges denied to others, as in certain European countries where Roman Catholicism or regional forms of Protestantism have special status.
  • Religious freedom has not existed at all in some communist countries where the state restricts or prevents the public expression of religious belief and may even actively persecute individual religions (see for example North Korea).

• Affiliation

  • From the early colonial days, when some English and German settlers came in search of religious freedom, America has been profoundly influenced by religion.
  • Religion in the United States is characterized by both a wide diversity of religious beliefs and practices and by a high adherence level.
  • A majority of Americans report that religion plays a "very important" role in their lives, a proportion unique among developed nations.
  • Non-Christian religions (including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.), collectively make up about 5% of the adult population.
  • From the early colonial days, when some English and German settlers came in search of religious freedom, America has been profoundly influenced by religion.

• Marx and the "Opiate of the Masses"

  • One of the most frequently paraphrased statements of Karl Marx is, religion is the opium of the people.
  • Early social theorists offered explanations and analysis of religion in terms of the function of religion in society, the role of religion in the life of the individual, and the nature (and origin) of religion.
  • Criticism of the system in place when he was writing was inherent in Marx's approach; because of this, he took a particular stand on the existence of religion, namely, that it should be done away with.
  • The antithesis to this alienation is freedom.
  • Thus, to propagate freedom means to present individuals with the truth and give them a choice to accept or deny it.

• World Religions and Religious History

  • If one were to ask any sociologist of religion which are the world religions, they would likely give the standard answer that there are five world religions:
  • A detailed description of these religions is beyond the scope of this chapter.
  • The classification of these groups as world religions is, like all classifications, artificial.
  • Three are religions of the book and can be practiced somewhat distinctly from one's primary cultural identity (e.g., being an American and Episcopalian), while two are better understood as synonymous with culture (Buddhism and Hinduism).
  • Additionally, the religions of the book have numerous branches, some so dissimilar that there is more contention within the world religions than between them (e.g., Mormons vs. fundamentalist Christians, Catholics vs.

• Introduction

  • Sociologists study religion the same way they study other social institutions, like education or government.
  • The aim is primarily to understand religions, but included in trying to understand religions is the aim of trying to predict what religions will eventually do (or what will become of religions).
  • It is important to note at the beginning of this chapter that sociologists study religion not to prove, disprove or normatively evaluate religion.
  • Sociologists aren't interested in whether a religion is right or wrong.
  • That said, the social scientific study of religion can be challenging from a faith standpoint as it provides alternative, naturalistic explanations for many elements of religion (e.g., the sources of conversion experiences).

• Religion and Social Control

  • Marx viewed religion as a tool of social control used by the bourgeoisie to keep the proletariat content with an unequal status quo.
  • Many types of people, whether they be Catholic, Muslim, or Jewish, are expected to follow their family's religion as a social norm.
  • Marx argued that religion was able to do this by promising rewards in the after-life, instead of in this life.
  • "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the feeling of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless circumstances.
  • It is the opium of the people...The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness" (p.72).

• Minority Groups

  • Apartheid granted enormous power and privileges to the numeric minority Afrikaner population at the expense of the rights and freedoms of the majority black population.
  • Every large society contains ethnic minorities: subgroups that share a common heritage, which often consists of a shared language, culture (often including a religion), or ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy.
  • It is now accepted in many multicultural societies around the world that people should have the freedom to choose their own religion, including not having any religion (atheism or agnosticism), and including the right to convert from one religion to another.
  • However in some countries this freedom is still either formally restricted or subject to cultural bias from the majority population.
  • Affirmative action is a controversial issue, which refers to policies that take factors including race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group.