Does the religion support freedom of thought?
Do You Support Freedom Of Religion?
by minimus 40 Replies latest jw friends
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nicolaou
I believe in freedom for all but, most importantly, that must be coupled with equality for all. Any organisation, be it political, business, religious or any other must abide by the rules of the land - no exceptions.
Does an organisation have a right to recruit new members, even if it's policies are obnoxious to the majority? Yes.
Should an organisation be prosecuted if recruitment material breaks the laws of incitement? Yes.
Should an organisation be prosecuted if it operates a gender discrimination policy? Yes.
Should an organisation be prosecuted if it bars membership based on sexual orientation? Yes.
Should an organisation automatically be granted charitable status by virtue of it's claim to be a religion? No.
The question is not about freedom of religion, it is about freedom itself.
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hamilcarr
Should an organisation be prosecuted if it operates a gender discrimination policy? Yes.
Should an organisation be prosecuted if it bars membership based on sexual orientation? Yes.
What if most members endorse this policy?
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jonathan dough
Should an organisation be prosecuted if it operates a gender discrimination policy? Yes.
Should an organisation be prosecuted if it bars membership based on sexual orientation? Yes.
Not automatically in the States, mate. Your definition of "organization" is too broad.
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nicolaou
hamilcarr, your objection is irrelevant - or at least it should be. Take the Ku Klux Klan as an example. As despised as they are they operate, at least on the face of it, within the law and constitution of the U.S even though most of its members endorse a racist agenda!
Now, as much as I loathe the ideology of groups like the KKK (and in Britain the BNP), I accept that freedom of expression means I will be exposed to their hateful bile to the extent that I allow it. I would not prosecute them because I don't like them but I would prosecute when they cross the legal line and incite racial hatred!
Same goes for religious hatred, homophobia and sexism - all of which most religious organisations are guilty of.
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Heaven
Yes, as long as they are not harmful and destructive.
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DJK
I didn't discover the "Freedom of Religion" rights until civics in Jr High. I tried to use that as a way of getting out of going to the KH. Didn't work!!!
Edited to add an "I". No such thing as a JW.
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chickpea
i support the advancing forces of reason
and rational thought that will result in the
ultimate erosion of the basis for institutions
that rely on mysticism and belief in a deity
whose "revealed" whims are used by an entrenched
heirarchy to acquire wealth and manipulate its adherents....until then, like undercover and others have already said....
as long as they play nice and stay the hell out of arenas
in which they have no business, like legislation, policy development
and actual government of populations that include non-adherents
then i dont give a rat's rear end if they fail or flourish... -
joelingeorgia
I think the freedom to have faith in a set of religious creeds, moral teachings and hopes is fine as long as people realize that this will
differ from person to person and should be respected. The problem is, that most people point there religious outward instead of
inward, eagerly telling others how they should live, while not working on their own weaknesses.
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hamilcarr
Same goes for religious hatred, homophobia and sexism - all of which most religious organisations are guilty of.
If it were all that crystal-clear, why then do you think most religious organisations are not prosecuted? Due to a lack of law enforcement?