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The two meanings of religious freedom:
1. Freedom of belief & practice &
2. Freedom to denigrate & oppress others.

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About the meaning of the term "religious freedom:"

Unfortunately, theologians, clergy, laity and secularists often use common words and phrases to mean very different things. Many are certain that there is only one correct meaning to these terms -- the one that they use!

Two prime examples are the definition of who can legitimately call themselves Christian and the definition of what a religion is. The term "religious freedom" is similar.

On this web site, we normally discuss religious freedom in its traditional meaning:

Religious freedom means that an individual or group can:

	Without oppression, believe, worship and witness (or practice freedom from belief, worship and witness), as they wish;
	Change their beliefs or their religion at any time; and
	Associate with others to express their beliefs. 1

During the past six decades, people in North America have enjoyed relative religious freedom. There have been some restrictions on Native Americans, Wiccans and other Neopagans, Muslims, and others, but they have been relatively rare and minor when compared to the horrendous experiences in the past, when for example Germany lost one third of its population due to religious wars, or one in three European Jews were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust.

With the arrival of the new millennium, religious freedom seems to be gradually changing its meaning. When it is discussed in the media today, it usually refers to the freedom for an individual, clergyperson, or denomination to express condemnation, spread misinformation or disinformation, exclude, denigrate, oppress, refuse to deal with others, and/or express hatred towards other individuals or groups. Often, the right to advocate for restricted civil rights of the targeted groups is included. Most often women and sexual minorities are the victims; the latter are commonly referred to as the LGBT community, made up of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender persons and transsexuals.

In brief:

Religious freedom used to mean freedom of belief and practice.

In recent decades, the definition has been changing.

It is becoming: the use of religious belief to justify hatred of others and to legitimate discrimination against them, and to urge that the others' civil rights be limited.

Meanwhile, two main fears are increasing among some religious believers:

• The fear that believers' freedom to denigrate and oppress others will be restricted, and
  
  
• The fear that the believers will become regarded as bigots by the general population, on a par with sexists and racists.

About religious tolerance: what it is and isn't:

Religious tolerance is a term that it tied closely to religious freedom. If a society extends tolerance to followers of all religions -- and to followers of no religion -- then everyone will probably enjoy religious freedom. "Religious tolerance," as it is most commonly defined, means that people:

Extend religious freedom to people of all religious traditions, even though they probably disagree with most of their beliefs and/or practices.

This definition does not require a person or group to:

	Accept all religions as equally true.
	Refrain from comparing the beliefs and practices of different religions or faith groups.
	Refrain from comparing the religious beliefs and practices with the findings of science.
	Avoid criticizing actions, statements, and policies of religious groups when those activities harm others.

Thomas Jefferson expressed religious tolerance when he said:

"...it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."

A common definition used by some fundamentalist and other evangelical Christians is that to be religiously tolerant means that one must accept all religions as equally true. As a result, "religious tolerance" has a very negative connotation to many religious conservatives even as it has a very positive meaning to others.

This section includes essays on the following topics:

	The transition currently occurring in religious freedom: The transition from freedom of belief to the freedom to discriminate and oppress on religious grounds
	Status of religious freedom: Snapshot of religious freedom worldwide during 2010: Quotations; freedom status; religious groups threatened with extinction State Department report; religious freedom in Japan, U.S. and Canada Decline of religious freedom in Europe The U.S. government vs. individual religious freedom Decline of religious freedom in Europe Freedom House report on religious freedom Religious freedom and the year 2000 presidential candidates Lack of religious freedom in France Changing one's religion from Islam to another faith (Irtidad) Religious clothing and jewelry in U.S. public schools Canadian religious groups' freedom to discriminate against same-sex marriage
	Statements, speeches, petitions, etc. on religious freedom and tolerance: Excerpts: Excerpts of statements on religious freedom   In the United States: Guaranteeing personal religious freedom Petition to regain and preserve religious freedom Williamsburg Charter on the First Amendment (1988) U.N. report on religious freedom in the U.S. (1998) Speech by President Clinton on religious freedom (1995) Proclamation on diversity and tolerance in Cedar Rapids, IA. Personal pledge of support for religious freedom   International: Declaration of a Global Ethic (1993) Excerpts from "The Principles of a Global Ethic" Statement by UNESCO, on the "Year of Tolerance" (1995) Statement by Pope John Paul II on the World Day of Peace, (1996) Statement by the U.S. on freedom of religion in Europe (1999) The Amman Declaration (1999) concerning the Middle East The Geneva Spiritual Appeal (1999) on an end to religious conflict
	Bills, laws and regulations guaranteeing, limiting, or promoting religious freedom: 1777 Thomas Jefferson's bill for religious freedom in Virginia 1786 Virginia's "Act for Establishing Religious Freedom" The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Religious freedom restoration acts Workplace Religious Freedom Act * U.S. "Freedom from Religious Persecution Act" Religious rights within the US military Excerpts of laws guaranteeing religious freedom
	Other topics: Links to web sites dealing with religious freedom Brief quotations about tolerance Reducing religion-inspired religious conflicts Religious tolerance and freedom chain letter Constitutional amendment on religious freedom & compulsory prayer
	Related topics: Religiously motivated religious conflict, oppression, & discrimination menu Religious laws of the U.S., Canada and other nations

References used:

1. Paraphrased, with changes, from Forum 18 at: http://www.forum18.org .

Copyright © 2006 to 2011 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally posted: 2006-NOV-05
Latest update: 2011-NOV-25
Author: B.A. Robinson

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