Religious Freedom Restoration

Religious Freedom Restoration
How is the Religious Freedom Restoration Act Unconstitutional? Each individual is entitled to
follow his or her own religious beliefs, but does openly practicing it affect others? Certain practices
are discouraged or are considered illegal, but are usually a fundamental part of one's religion. In
1993, current New York Governor Chuck Schumer authored the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
(RFRA) to protect people's religious freedom without government interference and the act was
signed by former President Bill Clinton, but in 1997 the Supreme Court stated that it could not be
implemented into every state. Despite this, 21 states have created their own version of the RFRA.
Although it was created to protect people's religious freedom, it has ... Show more content on
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As previously stated, the RFRA was authored by Governor Chuck Schumer after it was found that
legislation was needed because it was considered illegal to smoke peyote, even though it was a part
of Native American religious practice, due to it being a hallucinogenic. The act has primary helped
minorities, people of non–Christian religious sectors, and prisoners. A primary example is when
Muslim prisoner Abdul Muhammad fought Florida law to wear a short, half inch beard that is a
strict and common Muslim practice for men. Even if this did not comply with Florida law "he won
the suit using the 'RFRA for prisoners' – the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act"
(Hemingway) which was signed by Bill Clinton and enacted on a national level. Florida also denied
Orthodox Jewish prisoner Bruce Rich kosher meals. Rich also argued that "this violates the
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000" (Hemingway) and even when the
state claimed that doing so would pose both financial and security problems, the Becket Fund for
Religious Liberty noted that "35 states and the federal government provided kosher meals without it
posing a problem" (Hemingway). Although these cases are justifiable, these cases could also be
protected by the
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Religious Freedom: The Main Reason Why The Colony's Went...
Religious freedom was a main reason why the colony's went to the New World. Many places did not
have freedom. People wanted be live in whatever religion they wanted, not just in the church of
England. Many colonies were founded for religious freedom. Some of the main religious groups
were Catholics, Puritans and Puritans. Most of the colonies were founded for religious freedom. In
the 1600's, many of the first and last colonies were founded for religious freedom. Many places
around the world, did not have religious freedom. If you lived in England during the 1600's, you had
to practice at the Church of England. Many people did not want to practice this religion because it
was not their own. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, was a

Heaven's Gate and the Infingement of Religious Freedom
Heaven's Gate and the Infringement of Religious Freedoms Introduction How much religious
freedom do we want? The United States Constitution guarantees religious freedom to all citizens.
However, since the establishment of this freedom, there have been continuous debates and
modifications. Despite this independence, there have been times when the government felt it
necessary to infringe upon religious freedom for various reasons. The question is, at which point it is
okay for the government to become involved in religious affairs for the sake of safety and
protection? The Heaven's Gate religious group is one group in particular that has aroused much
controversy in terms of the extent of religious freedom. In 1997, members of ... Show more content
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While it may seem contrary to their practices, Heaven's Gate believers do not promote suicide in its
normal connotation. Rather, they consider suicide transitioning into the next level when it is being
offered. Prior to the mass suicide of 1997, Heaven's Gate members thought that a UFO would pick
them up from Earth and bring them to the next level. After years of waiting for the UFO's coming
and many false alarms, many Heaven's Gate followers felt called to abandon their "vehicles" or
bodies, in hopes of freeing the spirit into the next level as was exemplified in the ritual suicide in
1997. Additionally, there was also a large communal component to Heaven's Gate. Members lived
together and traveled together and members all had a platonic partner. With this platonic partner,
Friction was practiced. Friction was where two individuals would share deep, personal issues that
were meant to be uncomfortable so the two individuals could truly bond on a deeper level.
Additionally, there was a group of individuals within Heaven's Gate who were called the Away
Team and held the position of leading members in The Process. The Process, one of the most central
principles of Heaven's Gate, is the journey to renounce all aforementioned personal attachments to
the Earth so that one may be prepared to exit this level, such as the abstinence from sex and name
changes.

Impact Of William Penn On Religious Freedom
William Penn's Influence on Religious Freedom
In March of 1681, William Penn was given the ownership of a large piece of land which we today
call Pennsylvania (Document A). As a teenager in the 1660s, Penn was kicked out of Oxford for
expressing his religious views and not attending the religious services that were required. He then
joined a radical religious group known as the "Quakers" who were persecuted in England Only 13
years before he was granted Pennsylvania, Penn was held captive for his religious beliefs and the
King requested that Penn publicly deny his beliefs. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania,
established a colony based on the idea of religious liberty, equality, and self–government which
served as the foundation of America's constitutional rights in a secular government wherein all
citizens have the rights to freely practice their religious beliefs; these ideas still impact the
government's inaction concerning citizens' religious practices.
William Penn believed that the key principle of religious toleration was respecting religious liberties
and promoting peace. Penn believed that respecting these individual liberties would produce
economic prosperity and construct a strong government controlled by the people. Penn places these
ideas into real–world practice by establishing the colony of Pennsylvania, and by making religious
tolerance not only a law but a key tenet in his colonial constitution. Penn recruited adventurers and
prosperous supporters

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) is a federal law that was set up to protect the free
exercise of religion, as an undeniable right, protected by the First Amendment. Easy enough, right –
however, it seems can be interpreted in different ways, some depending on what your beliefs are i.e.,
religious or secular. Such as in the legal case of Burwell (U.S. Secretary of Health and Human
Services) vs. Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby argued that they should not have to pay for
contraceptives for their employees as part of their healthcare because contraceptives such as the
emergency contraception went against their religious beliefs because is an abortifacient.
I went into this with an open mind as I really didn't follow the case at the time and really didn't
know too much about it. I also did really know too much about what RFRA was from a legal point
of view. To help me fully understand I found the syllabus from this case in which part of the first
paragraph says: "The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) prohibits the
"Government [from] substantially burden [ing] a person's exercise of religion even if the burden
results from a rule of general applicability" unless the Government "demonstrates that application of
the burden to the person–(1) is in furtherance of a compelling government interest; and (2) is the
least restrictive means of furthering that compelling government interest."" (Supreme Court Of The
United States, 2013). The second paragraph reads:

Religious Freedom in America
From the beginning the United States of America was formed, it has been founded and established
by religious toleration and freedom. Without religious freedom, people are forced to comply with
laws and policies that blatantly contradict their beliefs. This results in people living their lives in a
struggle between their personal beliefs and obeying the laws that are placed before them. Obviously
upholding personal convictions is very important, but people are forced to decide if it is personally
worth the persecutions they may endure in result of it. Freedom of religion is considered to be a
basic human right. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, "Everyone has
the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his
religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to
manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance" (Leiter, p. 6).
However, there are many countries throughout the world that are actively engaging in religious
persecution daily. Roger Trigg, author of Equality, Freedom, and Religion, states that "without the
ability to decide, and live by, what we consider to be most important and valuable in life, we cannot
be free" (Trigg, p. 153). The early pilgrims of the United States were seeking religious freedom.
However, it was not the type of religious freedom that is associated with the First Amendment. They
came

American Indian Religious Freedom Act
Prior to the Second World War, religious places remained untouched as they were mainly located in
rural areas. However, the period after the Second World War was characterized by an increase in
population, corporate farming, a more vibrant timber industry as well as an expanded recreational
industry. This change resulted in less respect for the public land, and the situation was made worse
by the proliferation of state and federal agencies that have no respect for the public land. It thus
becomes difficult for the Native Indians to have access to shrines as the politicians' promulgated
rules that disregarded public land particularly places of worship. One such narrow–minded law that
has failed to achieve its ultimate goal is the American Indian Religious Freedom Act that was
enacted in 1978. The law made it clear the government efforts of protecting the religious rights of
the American Indians not only to express their belief but also to practice this believes through
traditional religion. However, this law faced major blows especially on the corridors of justice
where the Court viewed the Congress' action in enacting the American Indian Religious Freedom
Act as efforts of the government to establish a state religion.
Instead of the government respecting the right of the Indians to maintain their religious places, it
invokes its power as the custodian of the public land by claiming that it has the mandate of utilizing
any piece of public land for the benefit of the entire

The Colonization Of The Americas Became A Time Of Growth...
The 1700s in the Americas became a time of growth of independence and religious freedoms.
People began separating from the original religious sects and began searching for other ways of
worship. These included revivals, outdoor sermons, and more inclusive baptisms. This allowed more
people to experience religion, allowing people to decide for themselves which way of worship was
right for them. Along with growing religious independence, the nation itself began to establish itself
as a unified entity. The colonies began thinking of independence, away from the control of England.
However, one group, enslaved Africans, remained separated and excluded from the nation's
unification. The use of slaves, common during this time, established the ... Show more content on
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She accomplishes this within the poem by depicting her conversion to Christianity as an enslaved
African, using herself as an example while calling for salvation of Africans, and through her specific
use of language, word choice, and religion to separate herself from the African race in order to
appeal to while colonists.
The Wheatley family purchased a young African girl, who was enslaved and sent to Boston. Her
owners named her Phillis after the ship carrying her overseas. The Wheatley family taught her to
read and write using the King James Bible. Wheatley utilized her education and began writing
poetry. At the age of twelve, she published her first poem, making her the first African–American
female poet. Later in 1770, the poem titled "On the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield" raised
international attention. This attention helped Phillis Wheatley publish a book of collected poems in
1773 including poems titled "On Being Brought from Africa to America", and "Thoughts on the
Works of Providence". Her early education not only focused on literacy, but religion, where it
played a large role in her poetry. Writing an elegy for Rev. Mr. George Whitefield, an evangelist
preacher who spoke to thousands of people to spread the word of God, portrayed Wheatley's
admiration for the preacher she had the opportunity to observe.
In

Religious Freedom Restoration Act Case Study
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) of 1993 was an attempt to protect religious
minorities like the American Indian Movement. Sherbert v Verner and Employment Division v
Smith were two cases which led to the adoption of this legislation. Employment Division v Smith
was decided when two Native Americans used ceremonial peyote, were fired and were unable to
collect unemployment because they were fired for a drug offense or workplace misconduct. The
Supreme Court opinion said that the State could deny unemployment benefits to employees fired for
this offense, even if it was a part of a religious ceremony. Thus, the 1993 law attempted to protect
people like these Native Americans. The RFRA tried to protect Native Americans by saying that the
government may not substantially burden a person's free exercise of religion unless the government
has a compelling interest and the means used are the least intrusive. This law intended to protect
citizens from too much government interference in their religious practices. However, this law was
challenged and brought to the Supreme Court. The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A closely held corporation owned by a family who are members of the Assemblies of God church
argued that paying for employee's birth control violated their company conscious. The court decided
that the company could be given a tax credit by the government in order so that there is less of a
burden on the corporation. This case, Burwell v Hobby Lobby was controversial and the dissent,
written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was interesting as well. She argued that no prior case
recognizes a for–profit corporation to be exempt for a generally applicable law. She urged the court
to stay out of weighing of religious claims and found no proof of a substantial burden on the
corporation. She also argued that corporations are artificial beings existing only in contemplation of
law so they have no conscious or

Religious Freedom Essay
Religious Freedom
America has been named the "melting pot" of the world. It houses many different cultures,
nationalities, ideas and religions. There are Christians, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Mormons,
Hindus, Spiritualists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islamic, plus many more. America is unique in that all
these religions are represented in a nation that is only 200 years old. And America has upheld,
throughout history, that the freedom and equality of religion is extremely important in order for this
nation to function as a free nation. The foundations of America were set as a result of England's
persecution; more specifically, England's religious persecution. The colonists wanted to create a
nation that allowed people to be free. They ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Certainly, all the freedoms are equal.
On the other hand, unlike the other freedoms mentioned, religious freedom addresses a different
type of need. It addresses the concept of personal fulfillment, or perhaps, self–realization. Religion
attempts to give answers to basic questions: From where did the world come? What is the meaning
of human life? Why do people die and what happens afterward? Why is there evil? How should
people behave? As a word religion is difficult to define, but as a human experience it seems to be
universal. The 20th–century German–born American theologian, Paul Tillich, gave a simple and
basic definition of the word: "Religion is ultimate concern." This means that religion includes that to
which people are most devoted or that from which they expect to get the most satisfaction in life.
Consequently, religion provides adequate answers to the basic afore mentioned questions.
Religion is, unquestionably, a very important part of life. The second question regarding freedom of
religion discusses which aspect of religion should be considered equal: the structure or substantive
content of religion, or the individual conscience of that religion. Because of the diversity and impact
that religion has in the lives of Americans, the individual conscience should be treated as equal, not
the structure or substantive content of the various religions. No two religions are alike, just as no
two people

In Quest Of Religious Freedom : In Quest Of Religious Freedom
In Quest of Religious Freedom What becomes so annoying is that whenever a demonstration takes
place in Vietnam. The government often labels the VCC as a supporter of foreign/internal political
organizations, who threaten the national security. Giving this kind of reason is an act of bias and
calumniation. Those personal and organizational political intentions cause misunderstanding and
division, and they do not relate to any common pastoral plan of the VCC. It is not appropriate to use
VCC and religious activities to accuse and repress for political reasons. This kind of mentality
should not be "refrains" of public communication whenever a public insecurity rises. Recently,
whenever the church voices out for human rights, human dignity, and environmental issues to resist
irresponsible governmental leadership; in turn, the government accuses Catholics as reactionary
persons, who resist state laws and threaten national security. Actually, as addressed in 1953 pastoral
letter of the CBCV to distinguish between political and religious sphere, Catholicism is "an absolute
religious community and a part of the global Catholicism. Catholicism has never been a political
body." From this principle, the Vietnamese bishops have their right to "speak in the name of the
VCC:" – The Catholic Church "does not join any political party. It also does not object to any
political regime if the regime accepts entire immutable rights and benefits of the Catholic Church."
– The Catholics are

Argumentative Essay: America's Right To Religious Freedom
America's right to religious freedom is under threat, and has been for a long time. It was written
down in congressional records that the founders declared, "We don't want what we had in Great
Britain: we don't want one denomination running the nation. We do want God's principles, but we
don't want one denomination running the nation". There has been a struggle for all of recorded
history on one particular question, what is the correct association between church and state?
We see this debate recorded all the way back to the Epic of Gilgamesh and plenty of other Greek
mythologies. In most of Europe, the local religions create a relatively successful monopoly on the
faith and loyalty of the locals. However, the US constitution, heavily saturated with classic
liberalism, attempted a unique idea. The writers of the constitution intended to combine an absence
of an established state religion and the citizens right ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The founders of the constitution cared quite a bit about religion, and they were adamant about
creating a separation between the government and the people's ability to practice religion. The first
amendment does not exclusively protect the freedom to worship, but the right to free exercise. This
includes the right to have a different religion and to make choices based on the values of that
religious doctrine. This is much broader than the right to worship because it does not exclusively
protect the right to pray in whatever way one chooses to pray, but it protects the right to make
decisions based off of one's religion. However, now there is a need to define exactly how far these
religious practices can go before the state has to step in on religious practices that conflict with state
laws that are now allowed to set the moral code for the state and the

Essay on The Founders and Religious Freedom
James Madison and Thomas Jefferson are two of the seven key founding fathers of the United
States. The motive of the founders of the U.S. was to establish religious freedom in the colonies;
therefore, religion was of importance to them. When the policy of the separation of church and state
was enacted by the founding fathers through the Constitution, it meant that under a secular
government, religious freedom would always be protected. Issues such as the freedom to practice
one's religion arose in the earlier colonies and the separation of church and states prevents these
issues from occurring again. The separation of church and state protects the rights of all and ensures
religious freedom. This policy has proven to be nothing but a ... Show more content on
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Not only did James Madison have views on the importance of religion but he was an adamant
believer of the separation of church and state. Madison stated that breaking the ties between church
and state would cause a growth in religious interest. He wrote about this in 1819 stating that "the
number, the industry, and the morality of the priesthood and the devotion of the people have been
manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the state." Thomas Jefferson shared
this belief with Madison in his wall of separation between religion and government which is a
fortification of liberty. He strongly supported the freedom of religion in America through the
separation of church and state. "The phrase wall of separation between the church and the state was
originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists in 1802." The purpose of
the letter was to ease fears of the wall that the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists had. Jefferson said in
his letter that the wall had been built to protect them. This was used to keep the state out of the
church's business. During pre–Revolutionary America there were efforts made to attain not only
political liberty but also religious freedom. The booming dissenting churches in Virginia had
presented several pleas against religious discrimination to the Virginia House of Burgesses in the
1750s and 1706s. Some of Virginia's statesmen and politicians included James Madison and Thomas

The Importance Of Religious Freedom
Crying foul about need to protect religious freedom, opponents of same–sex–marriage should be
careful what they wish for. Erecting it as a bulwark to change, they illuminate a common
misunderstanding of what the term means, highlighting how it has become a proxy for religious
privilege – a means of favouring certain subset of faith–based beliefs.
They play this card at their own peril, because a wider understanding of religious freedom would
threaten the many privileges faith continues to enjoy in this country. And further, by trading on an
historical respect for religious faith, and seeking to entrench religious privilege, they risk eroding
that respect even further.
Clearly "religious freedom" cannot mean that one set of beliefs ought to take precedence over
another, nor that religious beliefs should trump nonreligious beliefs.
However, religious freedom is widely understood to be exclusive to religious beliefs. And, for the
"threat" argument to have any teeth, one must accept that society should actively discriminate in
favour of religious convictions. Cake makers, florists and wedding registrars must be allowed to act
in accordance with their faith, notwithstanding the beliefs of those supporting the same sex union.
The "threat" is that the law will force the faithful to act against their conscience.
This is framed as "protection". But, why are only religious beliefs worthy of protection? What this
means in practice, is the faithful gain a special pass to exempt

Freedom Of Religious Freedom
Freedom of religion When we say freedom of religion what is that exactly means? The First
Amendment describe the right of religion like this, everyone in the United States can practice to any
religion or not practice a religion. (Your Right to Religious Freedom) In the united states, there is no
an official religion and the government do not give any support for any religion institution because
of the government want to encourage and promoting religion in any ways. In addition to that,
nobody can penalize any citizen because of their religious beliefs. It's always best to keep the
government out of religion to protect religion liberty. The three United States founders were
different religious backgrounds. As most of us know the public schools are run by the government
and they obey the First Amendment. When any public education institution teach about the impacts
of religion in literature, history and philosophy they can't indorse religious beliefs or practices as
part of the catalogue. In the United States no one can prayer, theological reading and loudspeaker
spiritual breach in any public area that runs by government because they promote religion and this is
protected by the First Amendment, but when we say this we it's not including individuals. Individual
have the right to practice their religion, pray when and where ever they want to, as long as they don't
interrupt other people or activities for example, by forcing others to pray with them or practice their
religion.

The Importance Of Religious Freedoms
Statistics have shown that "nearly 70 percent of the world...live in countries with high restrictions on
religion" (Clark). People all around the world are being persecuted for their beliefs in Religion or for
simply not believing in what society wants them to believe. History has shown this during World
War II, when millions of Jews were killed because of what they believe in. But persecution is not
just something of the past, but a issue of present time. Such as, Islamic Extremism in the middle east
that has forced citizens to become Muslim or else put to death. Religious freedoms are important to
have in a country because it leads to a stronger nation, people have the right, and without it many
are persecuted for their beliefs. First and foremost, having a diverse nation causes society to be
stronger. They are unashamed, bold and outgoing in who they are as a person and in the community.
In a communist country, there is no religious freedoms, the nation is suffering. The economy is poor
quality with its main goal to "eliminate the gap between the rich and poor" (Comparing). This can
result in people feeling suffocated, with no rights. For example, in the communist country North
Korea, the lack of religious freedoms brought fear to many. The World Watch List states, "Christians
try to hide their faith as far as possible to avoid arrest and being sent to a labor camp" (New). This is
significant because it shows that in North Korea, religion is stolen away from society

Local Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Local Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) are controversial in nature, because while they
pretend to use the excuse to protect the free exercise of religion, intrinsically it is an avenue to attack
same sex marriages which have been ruled constitutional by most circuit appellate courts in the
United States. Currently the Supreme Court is hearing the cases that might ultimately decide the
faith of marriage equality. United States v. Windsor opened the door for most federal appellate
jurisdictions and some states to rule that prohibiting same–sex marriage was constitutional, on the
basis of the 14th Amendment equal protection clause. Despite this decision, the right to marriage is
not an explicit protection addressed by the Constitution, and is often seen as a right delegated to the
States under the 10th Amendment. On the other hand the free exercise clause is part of the First
Amendment, and protects people from doing things that violate their religious principle, for example
a Christian doctor from performing an abortion. The article from New York Times in which
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is an attempt to legitimize that RFRA plays an important place in
protecting the free exercise of religion of people and the power to authorize or prohibit same sex
marriage rest on the states police powers under the 10th Amendment. While a majority of Americans
nowadays sympathize with gay people and equality marriage it is a more difficult questions to
address in the context

Religious Freedom
Should the government decide which religions have freedom to worship? The balancing act of
individual rights and religious liberty has been a contentious affair throughout American history.
Some people believe states must accommodate to all religions, including the rights of business
owners to refuse service based on their values. There are beliefs the government should have no
influence on religions. On the other hand, some believe government should balance religion with
individual rights. Governments should not be based on religion ,but states should work to protect all
religions and give them equal advantages to succeed.
People should be able to practice what their religion preaches. If the government tells them the have
to go against their values they are further decreasing their freedom to practice what they want. "The
government of the United States was created to protect the God–given rights of the people, from our
First Amendment right to free speech and religious freedom." (Bob Goodlatte) The public should
have the the choice to follow what their religion preaches, not the government. Our first amendment
explicitly provides everyone religious freedom. Therefore, the government can not choose to only
protect certain religions. "Religious freedom is one thing nearly all Americans, left and right,
religious and secular, have ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
"Religion has a growing influence in the U.S. Government that is distracting lawmakers." Bans like
no same sex or mixed raced marriage and outlawing abortion are all based on religious teachings.
People disagree with same sex marriage because it says it is not allowed in the bible. Passing laws
like these add to the others going against their beliefs. If a religion doesn't believe in same sex
marriage, that religion doesn't have to participate. It's not the government's place to make the
decision for every

The Importance Of Religious Freedoms In The United States
It is often stated throughout this great country that we have a right to religious freedoms. Are these
freedoms only available if they fit inside a certain box or guidelines? Often times in our country
today we see individuals who are constantly claiming their right to religious freedoms. And often
times they are denied those freedoms by the interpretation of various laws. The First Amendment of
the United States of America Constitution clearly gives us our religious freedom above and beyond
all created laws. This leads to the fact that all laws should abide by the First Amendment. The First
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly states "Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Yes, that's right businesses. What religious freedom does is that it "fosters respect by protecting
something that more than eight–in–ten people worldwide, 84 percent according to a recent Pew
Research study, identify with – a religious faith", (Grim, 2014), encourages peace, develops an
economy, which in turn can reduce corruption. In turn religious freedoms also encourages broader
freedoms that can contribute to positive economic development. Many argue that social
development requires the removal of sources of un–freedom and restrictions on religions in such
countries like Saudi Arabia and Dubai. "Religious freedom also helps with the development of an
economy when religious groups are free to operate in a competitive environment religion can play a
role in major social development of countries."(Grim, 2014) Religious freedoms also encourage
multiples of trust for instance "clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch fought and lost a religious
discrimination case in 2013 related to firing a Muslim stock girl for wearing a scarf in violation of
the company's dress code. The case resulted not only in substantial legal costs but also negative
national publicity. Respect for reasonable accommodation of religious freedom in the workplace can
improve employee morale, increase retention of valued employees, and help with conflict
resolution. Moreover, businesses may gain a competitive advantage by engaging stakeholder
expectations that are increasingly demanding that companies play a positive role in addressing
environmental, social and governance challenges."(Grim,

Religious Freedom Essay
The United States of America was founded with a credo of religious freedom. They hoped to change
the vicious cycle of religious persecution and intolerance that had been swirling through Europe for
centuries. Over the last two hundred years this legacy has been shredded and stained. Our religious
freedoms have been taken away by people who have twisted what our country was founded to
protect. The North American continent was settled by thousands of refugees from different religious
persecutions from all around the globe. An excellent example is that of the Pilgrims, who fled from
England after they were persecuted for starting their own church instead of attending the official
Church of England. Although it was nearly two hundred ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Many of Washington's fellow statesmen expressed similar feelings. In his famous letter to the
Danbury Baptists, Thomas Jefferson reassures the Baptists of their right to religious freedom by
saying, "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that
he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government
reach actions only and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole
American people which declared that their legislature should `make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation
between church and state." In addition to these personal letters, the founding fathers left a clear
picture of their views in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. As Thomas Jefferson
so eloquently put it, "We hold these truths to be self–evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." With this one statement he not only puts forward the idea of
unalienable rights, he also clearly states the belief of many of the founding fathers in a Creator.
Fifteen

A Guard on Religious Freedom Essay
Persuasive Essay #1
A Guard on Religious Freedom
In the eyes of our founding fathers, few things seemed as important as the separation of church and
state. The first amendment grants all Americans the freedom to subscribe to any religion they wish
and promises that the government will not promote any religion above any other. Although the
separation of church and state and the freedom of religion are firmly and concretely secured in the
Constitution of the United States, events in the recent past bring to question whether this ideal is
under threat of losing its place as an American standard.
A recent controversy that brings to light the threat of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It is important to choose a battle wisely to not take away from future battle and maintain importance
on the battles deserving of a fight.
One such battle that is deserving of attention is the battle of prayer in school or the moment of
silence as a clever euphemism. To publicly bring attention to students with different beliefs is clearly
a violation of the ideals of our fore fathers. Not only does the moment of silence bring sensitive
differences to light but clearly presses on the issues of religion and possibly alienates religious
minorities.
Another such recent test to the separation of church and state was President Bush's public definition
of marriage and attack on homosexual relationships. Under the code of unethical, Mr. Bush
attempted to ban the union of two same sex members from joining as married. Although no Biblical
scripture has been presented as support for the proposed constitutional amendment, the
disagreement with same sex marriage can primarily be found in the religious fields or in area's
traditionally known as religiously dominant areas. Marriage is both an emotional as well as
contractual union of individuals. To prevent the union should require the backing of evidence that
appeals to more than the fickle nature of the public.
When arguing for the importance of the maintenance of the separation of church and state, it is
important to focus on

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Public policies are the rules, laws and regulations that govern society as a whole. Federal and State
governments institute these policies in order to ensure that its citizens and resources are protected.
The assignment required students to explore a public policy issue to determine how the policy is
perceived by the various cultures in the United States. One such policy that concerns many is the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act. In light of the political climate in today's society the act
requires a review to determine if the law is fair to all cultures and their religious belief.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, passed in 1993, allows for any business to be entitled to an
exemption from applicable laws as long as it can be proven to be due to one's religious belief.
(Rivkin, David & Whelan, 2012). In simpler terms, it means that a business owner or church has the
right to discriminate in the form of not providing pro–choice rights to female employees, to deny
patronage to their businesses to gay/lesbian couples and to not offer the aforementioned employee
benefits because of their sexual orientation. However, bear in mind, in order to deny these
individuals, their particular rights, one merely has to cite the new RFRA act. In order to support the
statements made previously, please see examples below:
1. A landlord who refuses to rent to same–sex couples, unmarried couples, single parents, people of
various races or of a different religion.
2. An employer

Religious Freedom in the Workplace
The United States is one of the most culturally and religiously diverse countries in the world. The
founding fathers of the United States wanted to ensure that its people would have the ability to
practice their religion with no threat of persecution. In order to accomplish the goal of religious
freedom and continue to ensure that all people of any religion would be free to practice their
religion, the United States passed Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits an
employer from discriminating based on the religious views of its employees. As the citizens of the
United States spend a large amount of time in their places of employment, religious practices that
these employees feel are necessary for the true observance of their religion must be accommodated
by the employers. This law contends that in cases where the accommodation of religious practices of
its employees does not create undue hardships, an employer must make reasonable accommodations
for employees to practices the beliefs of their religion. As the demographics of the United States
continues to change with more religiously diverse people immigrating to the country, employers are
coming under more pressure to ensure they are taking all possible precautions to accommodate the
religious practices of its employees. These precautions are important as the once an employee has
established a bona fide complaint of religious discrimination, the burden of proof then falls on the
employer to prove they

Religious Rights : Freedom Of Rights
Every individual has the right to entertain the religious beliefs they choose, and they should be able
to declare them openly without fear. Being unable to demonstrate and practice the religion of choice
is a discrimination of the Charter alone. The Charter explicitly states under section two that
everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: "freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of
thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of
communication..." When a Muslim wears her niqab she feels pride in her religion, it makes her feel
some sense of security. In numerous cases, saying that these women cannot wear their religious
headscarves is a form of oppression. Nonetheless, if society wants women to feel empowered they
should choose if they want to wear it, but cannot be obliged to, or not to. There was a Toronto case
where a judge had to decide whether a Muslim woman could wear her niqab while testifying as the
alleged victim in a sexual–assault case. The judge had decided that the woman must remove her
niqab, leaving the woman bare–faced. A niqab is a form of expression for an innumerable number of
Muslim women; it is a part of their religion and subsequently a part of the individual. However, the
judge should have been able to judge based on the evidence provided and it should not matter how
the alleged victim is clothed. These women were raised and normalized to life with the niqab.
People should look at others on a

Religious Freedom In The United States
There are many things that comply to the importance of religious freedom. Many of which we take
for granted. If anything, it is our fundamental right to have this freedom, for everyone. There are
even a few laws that comply to religious freedom, for example the "1998 International Religious
Freedom Act (IRFA)", this law issues to the United States to criticize mistakes that comply to
religious freedom. It also helped advocate the right of religious freedom.
Even though Congress thought it was essential in the IRFA to make clear how easily we can forget
how important our religious freedom is. Many people take advantage of our religious freedom, or
they just don't care. Take for example people who don't go to church. One thing wrong with this ...
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Religious freedom isn't just being able to practice whatever religion you want, it also complies to the
separation a church and state. This meaning that the government has absolutely no right to punish us
for doing something non–Christian in the church. So in theory, they can not punish us for
committing sins within the church. Back in 1700, they would use pillories to humiliate the sinner, or
even if the sin was bad enough, hang them. Other punishments back in 1700 include; having a "T"
branded into their hand for "theif", being whipped multiple times, or just normal public humiliation.
Of course some of these are harsh punishments, like hanging them for committing a simple sin.
That's why religious freedom is so important, if it wasn't for religious freedom, the world as we
know it wouldn't be like the way it is today. Many people of the world don't have religious freedom
like we do and they have to constantly hide their worships, if they get caught, well it's most likely
off with their head. Most people take this for granted, but once you get to thinking about it, you
realize just how lucky we Americans

The Importance Of Religious Freedom In America
Today, in modern America, religious freedom is a right for all people, but it was not always this way.
All the founders came from different religions, and found it important to have that freedom to
believe in whatever the individual wants. It forever changed the course of America. Due to one
diligent man, it has become a part of the American life of all citizens. This man believed strongly in
what he wanted, and was persecuted for his beliefs, and kicked out of many universities and schools.
He became a strong advocate, and the colony he established would change the tolerance of all
people. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, established a colony based on the ideas of
religious liberty, equality, and self–government which served as the foundation of America's
constitutional rights in a secular government wherein all citizens may freely practice their religious
belief, those ideas still impact the government's inaction concerning citizens religious practices.
According to William Penn, the key principles of religious toleration were religious liberty, equality,
and self–government. According to William Penn: Faith Not Force, it claims "Guided by his
conscience and their teachings, Penn became an outspoken supporter and a writer in search of
mutual respect for varying religions." He became a very active supporter of this right, and continued
to press for the respect or equality. Liberty is given to the people by allowing them an environment
that provides a safe place

Religious Freedom in a World of Religious Restrictions
Religious Freedom in a World of Religious Restrictions About half a decade ago John F. Kennedy
spoke these famous words: "tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it
condemns the oppression or persecution of others" (1930). Nowadays the issues of tolerance,
oppression and persecution are still relevant, especially with regard to religion. Even though
globally and nationally religious restrictions are increasing, without most Western people's
awareness, there is hope for an increase in religious freedom in the future.
RELIGIOUS RESTRICTIONS INCREASING WORLDWIDE
Statistics World Wide
Religious restrictions are on the increase globally the PEW research conducted in 2011 uncovered
(Pew Research Center 2012). The ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In the PEW research North Korea was not included even though it is the most religious restrictive
country because the researchers did not have access to the specific, timely information needed for
their research (Pew Research Center 2012). Kim Jong–II dictates the country, and demands god–like
obedience from all the country's citizens. The government sponsored some religious groups to give
the appearance of religious freedom, but in reality there is no religious freedom whatsoever.
Worshipping in public or private, carrying religious material and speaking about religion is not
legal, and can result in systematic torture and imprisonment. There are an estimated 400,000
Christians in North Korea, of whom 40,000 are estimated to be held in prison camps. If one member
of the family is discovered to be a believer the entire family is arrested and punished, often put into
prison camps. Prison camps basically work the prisoners to death, through starvation and physical
exhaustion. The solution that the North Korean Christians long for is that all North Koreans will
become Christians, but they do appreciate the pressure the international community applies on the
North Korean government (Class 2009).
My Own Experience Why bother worrying and writing about religious persecution, Canadian
citizens are not persecuted for their religion? Because humankind is one, there should be justice for
everyone. And yes, it is true that in

Can Establishment Be Consistent With Religious Freedom?
Can Establishment be Consistent with Religious Freedom?
In this paper, it will be submitted that some forms of establishment such as that in England and
Scotland is consistent with religious freedom. While other forms of establishment such as that in
Iran, which is noted as being an Islamic theocracy with the adoption of Sharia law is not consistent
with religious freedom.
However, before we go any further, it is important to define the term establishment and religious
freedom as they relate to this essay.
Establishment Defined
In Attorney–General (Vic) (Ex rel Black) v Commonwealth, Gibbs J of the Australian High Court
identified four examples of which religion could be established by law in relation to s 116 of the
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900. The first example, of which Gibbs J said was
the widest meaning was simply to protect the religion by law, an example of this, is that Queen
Elizabeth II is the 'Defender of the Faith'. The second example is to confer on a religion the status of
state religion, for example the Church of England. The third example is to support a church a church
in the observance of its ordinances and doctrines, for example, in New Zealand we observe publicly
three holy days a year, namely Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. The final example is
simply to set up a new church, as happened in 1534 when King Henry VIII established the Church
of England.
In Parochial Church Council of the Parish of Aston Cantlow and

Religious Freedom In The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood
In The Handmaid's Tale written by Margaret Atwood, the Republic of Gilead follows the Biblical
rules determining the chain of statutes; this use of religious constitution hugely restricts such
fundamental personal freedoms of the citizens of Gilead. These essential freedoms may be
expressed as the freedom of belief and freedom of choice which impacts both the religious beliefs
and the lifestyle of the citizens. Today, most Muslim–majority countries adopt numerous aspects of
Sharia law, a legal code derived from Quran and Hadith, which circumscribes many personal
freedoms. In both situations, the restriction of freedom may cause the establishment of chaos and
citizens to have inner conflicts.
When a country's laws are based on moral and ethical ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
A religion's "rules" must stay between the devout people only as taboos; implication of sect into the
legislation system and governance not only threatens the wellbeing of country's own citizens, but it
also prevents any kind of brain drain into the country which is an essential source of progression for
any community. Therefore, governments should only be serving for the well being of the citizens,
peace and democracy among the country; the youth should embrace the values United Nations
strictly recognizes and be aware that it is best when the religion is separated from governance.
Secularism must be recognized which is a case only possible if there is a massive change in the
governments of these religious countries; citizens must be informed about inconveniences caused by
religious laws more frequently since the censorship in media is extremely common in these

Religious Freedom : More Than Just America 's Hobby Anymore
Religious Freedom: More Than Just America's Hobby Anymore
Religious freedom in the United States originated in the reason that many pilgrims arrived on North
America's shores. They were leaving so that they could practice their version of their religion
unhindered by a government entity. This was later reaffirmed by the Constitution of the United
States with the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause. The laws of the land continued to be
relooked at by the Supreme Court and religious freedom was one of the issues addressed. Decisions
were made lessening religious freedom in the Employment Division v. Smith case and then
increased with the passing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the Religious
Land Use and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This stems less from the decision in Hobby Lobby and more from the controversy in sexual
orientation and same–sex marriage (Horwitz, "The Hobby Lobby Moment"). When it comes to
religious freedom Americans can set religious accommodation versus gay rights aside as one of the
issues soon to come up. Any curiosity about where the Court may stand on the issue can be found in
the precedent of the Hobby Lobby decision.
The arguments brought before the Supreme Court in the Hobby Lobby case represent two opinions
on whether the Affordable Care Act had crossed this threshold, "Government shall not substantially
burden a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability,"
unless the burden is "in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest" and "is the least
restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest" (Quoted in Horwitz, "The
Hobby Lobby Moment"). Author Garrett Epps sums the argument against as:
"Employers pay for an insurance program. That insurance, not the pills themselves, is part of the
package the

The Religious Freedom Of America
Religious Freedom of America
In this is paper I'm going to tell you about the religious freedom we have in America and how it's
uniquely American. There are many reason we have religious freedom in America, One being that
it's a law. I'm going to tell who wrote the bill of rights that made religious freedom a law and why
they wrote it. I'll tell you about the people who fight in war just to make sure we have this freedom
among other freedoms. I'll talk about how America is one place where we have a choose an say in
our religion. I'm going to tell about the religions you can choose to be for example Christian.
What is religious freedom to you? To me religious freedom is a choose of religion. The law states
that religious freedom is the right to choose a religion (or no religion) without interference by the
government. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the First Amendment. You might be wondering
what are amendments there laws in the bill of right there are ten of them.
Who wrote the bill of rights? The answer to that question is James Madison, George Mason. Both of
these men are from different backgrounds. I'll tell you about the different backgrounds starting with
James Madison. James Madison was born in October 5, 1944, York County, Pennsylvania, PA. He
had a wife named Dolley Madison James didn't have kids Dolley did though his name was John
Payne Todd. James Madison died in June 28, 1836, Orange, VA. In 1725 George Mason was born to
George and Ann

Religious Freedom
Importance of Religious Freedom Robert Kennedy once said, "America's answer to the intolerant
man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired." This
freedom has examples in everyday life and in everyone. It has caused wars and even has inspired
many great heroes who have impacted the world. This inevitable right allows us to be a safe haven
for many. We must never lose our religious freedom. Having the privilege of religious freedom is
quite an honor. As Americans, we must never forget that this inevitable right is not just given to us,
but that we must fight everyday for it. Without our religious freedom, our great nation would not be
the safe haven for people in need, like it is known today. This ... Show more content on
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The United States is considered "the melting pot" of the world, because we accept all diverse races
and denominations. Because of this privilege, which we are fortunate to endure, we are enabled to
have parochial and public schools. This allows us to learn and grow in our faith while we receive an
outstanding education. Personally, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity of a private school
education. I have learned so much, not only about my faith, but also about others. Nonetheless, if we
did not have the religious freedom that we have today, I would not have the knowledge about other
cultures, and the various religions that people practice around the world. Our country is a prime
example of why religious freedom is important. Our ancestors, who built this country, were mainly
seeking religious refuge. Because of our relatives, we don't have to worry about some of the
problems that many others have to face on a daily basis. Since our founding fathers came to the new
world, they wanted to set–up a type of government that would be separate from the church. If our
nation did not have separation of church and state, our country would be at war

Examples Of Controversies Over Religious Freedom
Controversies Over Religious Freedom Religious freedom has been a staple of the American
doctrine since the Bill of Rights. Since then, religious freedom has been challenged non–stop. From
the Supreme Court's rulings that have shaped what religious freedoms mean, which include the
enactment of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and the legalization of same–sex
marriage; to obstacles that Muslims face. Religious freedom has been and continuous to be a center
point in American politics.
The Supreme Court has shaped the interpretation of religious freedom within the United States
through rulings on cases regarding the First Amendment. Some of the early cases heard resulted
over the amount of religious liberty and the spreading of First Amendment protections towards the
state level. These cases stem as far back as 1778, where the court ruled that prohibiting polygamy
violates no religious freedoms within the Mormon faith (11). In 1940 the Supreme Court ruled in
favor of state laws having secular purpose in the case Cantwell v. Connecticut. This extends the Free
Exercise Clause to state level (12). From 1948 to 1985, the Supreme Court decides cases that pertain
to religion in public schools. This includes a case in 1962 dealing with the Establishment Clause,
Engel v. Vitale, in which limits were made towards prayer in schools (11). During the late eighties
and into the later half of the nineties, with the Court's narrowing of the rights towards the exercise of

The Importance Of Religious Freedom In 1800 And 1900's...
This ideology is not new to society, but is dated to around 539 B.C. and is firmly rooted in American
humanity ("Freedom of Religion & Public Education"). Religious freedom is a universal human
right that protects the choice of religion someone chooses and practices. Without this civil right,
people cannot think, express or act upon with religious liberty and this can result to acts of violence,
inequality and prejudice throughout the state ("Freedom of Religion or Belief."). A community that
consists of an array of acceptances is going to allow diversity to flourish. James Madison brings an
important transformation of 1800's and 1900's America through religious freedom.
To begin, this courageous man advocates for religious liberty through his choices of beliefs.
Notably, he promotes differences in the community as well as writes to defend citizens' ethics.
Madison has the ability to manage diverse people occupying different beliefs. For example, he
works with a variety of religious beliefs such as Lutherans, Baptists and Presbyterians ("God In
America."). He supports human rights because he accepts different religions; he doesn't have any
discrimination towards the different beliefs that exist in society. In addition, the man writes the
Memorial and Remonstrance to defend his choice to support the community for religious freedom
("God In America."). In this case, he is one of the Founding Fathers that wrote in the First
Amendment, otherwise known as the Bill of Rights.

The American Dream: Religious Freedom And Discrimination
The American Dream, whatever the new thing is in American life. People try to achieve this dream
but are stopped by many and various obstacles, especially discrimination. In discussions of
discrimination, one controversial issue has been religious freedom and discrimination. Religious
discrimination is harassing, teasing, based on somebody's religious beliefs. Religious freedom is
wonderful until it becomes discriminatory. In a bill vetoed by Arizona, would have allowed religious
beliefs to become excuses in that state for example, [insert quote here, story]. If we allowed people
to discriminate and use their religion as an excuse for why, at that point people could use religion as
why they committed a crime. It would allow criminals to go ... Show more content on
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As John F. Kennedy said in his speech about religion, we can't allow our religion to make our
decisions for us." As he continued on in his speech, he said that church and state should be separate.
This is the solution to our discrimination problem. To solve this issue that stops from achieving the
American Dream, we need to separate our religion from us. We don't have to parade around our
religion. We should accept people for who they are and not what they believe. We should allow
people to choose what they want to believe. We should let people be people and make their own
choices. Religious discrimination is very prominent, and very alive today. It can hinder or even stop
you from achieving the American dream. Discrimination in the work place, schools and even just
out in public can lead to not being able to achieve the American Dream. The way to solve this
growing issue in the United States is just accept people for who they are. Don't let someone's beliefs,
especially if they are different, stop you from reaching for what you

Karrie J. Koesel's Religious Freedom And Restriction In China
Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to
make mistakes." If this were true, freedom would lose its importance. It must be remembered,
freedom's importance comes from its virtue, because true freedom and virtue go hand in hand. When
people do whatever they want without consequences, it takes away from the rights of others
Americans, therefore, losing its virtue and importance. If individuals were free to make wrong
decisions, how much people would really be free? True freedom derives from the virtues and morals
of America, which is the reason why it is important to every American. True freedom is important
because of its morals, protections, religious freedom, universality, and strong work ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
In 1963, thirty–fifth President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, made this point in his speech,
"Address on Civil Rights", to address a situation of two black boys who needed guards to protect
them in their University. Kennedy's main point was that the discrimination on African Americans
was no longer a political issue but a moral one. In light of this, he called for Americans to think over
the incident and explained that all men are created equal and should be free. In addition, the author
goes on to say that all Americans, even those of color, should enjoy the same rights as any American
and be treated just as fair. Furthermore, the African American was not given the same rights or
treatment; they were not free. He calls upon the issue in a moral light and claims that the nation will
not be "fully free until all its citizens are free" (Kennedy). To explain, his point was that they cannot
call this nation the land of the free if they excluded people based on skin color. Given these points,
Kennedy called for action to make the country a place of equal freedom, as well as point out all he
had done to desegregate. He concluded by asking for the support of every citizen in making the
country a place of freedom for everyone. Americans can see the change in freedom, from what is
was then to what it is now. When Kennedy made this speech, America did not quite have true
freedom. It lacked universality. "One

Religious Freedom Policy Paper
Religious Freedom Policy Paper
A topic of great controversy is that of religion and the freedoms that are and are not associated with
it. The first amendment of the Constitution states that Congress shall make no law of respecting an
establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The State of Indiana has a Senate
Bill that is titled the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which contains a law that consents
individuals and companies to assert that their exercise of religion has been, or is likely to be,
substantially burdened as a defense in legal proceedings (Cohn). As this is obviously a commonly
debated issue, there are many points for and against the policy. Governor Mike Pence singed the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act last week and created an array of responses from the public. He
claims that he signed the act because he "supports the freedom of ... Show more content on
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The issue of legalizing same–sex marriage is one thing, but denying service to someone because of
their sexual orientation is a completely different topic. I think that denying a person a marital
ceremony could be because of religious beliefs. However, a person's sexual orientation does not
affect any other person, nor does it affect the way they should be served or treated in a public
setting. The United States is a free country so people should be able to express themselves however
they want to. If an employee is given the ability to deny service to a person because of something
this small, people will eventually be able to deny service to people for all kinds of pointless reasons.
We should be uniting together as a state and giving fair treatment to all citizens, instead of
discriminating and only offering certain services to people who we see worthy of receiving them. I
believe that the government should continue working to get this law vetoed to eliminate more
problems in the

The Importance Of Religious Freedom
The Importance of Religious Freedom Over a thousand years ago, a small Catholic parish waited
nervously. There were at least a hundred among them. They were openly Christian, Catholic
individuals. They waited in the bottom of a Roman stadium, prevented from entering the main ring
by a metal gate. On the other side of this gate lurked various vicious animals and gladiators. These
Catholic individuals were about to be slaughtered for their faith. They were indeed anxious–loved
ones said their final good byes, friends gave one another their final farewells. However anxious,
they were ready. They were prepared to unite their suffering to the cross of Jesus Christ. An old man
walked up to a young adult who only just converted to Christianity, who then found himself
corralled with the veterans who had been Christian for much longer than he. The young adult–still a
boy in most respects–was very scared. The old man approached, greeted the young man, and kissed
him on each cheek, saying "Peace be with you, my son." The young man was caught off–guard, and
astonished by this simple act of love. It steeled him for what was to come. The old man continued to
go around doing this to the others who looked especially anxious, and the young man followed suit.
Soon, all of the congregation were offering this sign of peace with each other, and in doing so, set a
precedent that would be followed for two thousand years. They had prepared each other collectively
for martyrdom.

John Locke : The Benefits Of Religious Liberty And...
Religious liberty has been and continues to be hotly debated among statesmen and citizens of
nations worldwide. Religion is an aspect of society that is deeply rooted in the souls of people,
therefore, when people criticize or are of different belief than another, religious toleration is
difficult. John Locke was a philosopher who brought up the very discussion of tolerating religions
and respecting their freedoms. He explained how the state and major churches can and should aid in
the effort to support religious freedom. By examining religious toleration through the benefits
received and the negatives if done independently, it is difficult to promote religious toleration
without the cooperation of both church and state. Magistrates (the ... Show more content on
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As time went on in US history, millions of people migrated to the United States. Many people's
motivation was not always to worship freely, but because different religions were tolerated, various
backgrounds were comfortable of moving to the United States.
Several negative impacts affect churches and the state alike if one promotes toleration without
support from the other. John Locke discusses the role atheism could play in society, and with the
toleration of religions also come with those that are not religious. This could be detrimental to a
religious society and the church's purposes. More important, this can affect those who don't believe
in a God in obtaining rights and toleration. Locke is firm is saying that there should be no toleration
for Atheist followers. An important principle also to remember is that religions supporting freedom
does not mean they should not directly get involved in state matters. "Where they have not the
[civil] power to carry on persecution and to become masters there they desire to live upon fair terms
and preach up

Religious Freedom Restoration

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