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History Historically freedom of religion has been used to refer to the tolerance of different theological systems of belief, while freedom of worship was defined as freedom of individual action. During history some countries have accepted some form of freedom of worship, though in actual practice that theoretical freedom was limited through punitive taxation, repressive social legislation, and political disenfranchisement. Compare examples of individual freedom in Poland or the Muslim tradition of dhimmis, literally "protected individuals" professing an officially tolerated non-Muslim religion. Antiquity In Antiquity a syncretic point-of-view often allowed communities of traders to operate under their own customs. When street mobs of separate quarters clashed in a Hellenistic or Roman city, the issue was generally perceived to be an infringement of community rights. The Greek-Jewish clashes at Cyrene provided one example of cosmopolitan cities as scenes of tumult. Some of the historical exceptions have been in regions where one of the revealed religions has been in a position of power: Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam. Others have been where the established order has felt threatened, as shown in the trial of Socrates or where the ruler has been deified, as in Rome or the Persian empire, and refusal to offer token sacrifice was similar to refusing to take an oath of allegiance. This was the core for resentment and the persecution of early Christian communities. Freedom of worship in India was encapsulated in an inscription of Asoka: King Piyadasi (Ashok) dear to the Gods, honours all sects, the ascetics (hermits) or those who dwell at home, he honours them with charity and in other ways. But the King, dear to the Gods, attributes less importance to this charity and these honours than to the vow of seeing the reign of virtues, which constitutes the essential part of them. For all these virtues there is a common source, modesty of speech. That is to say, One must not exalt one’s creed discrediting all others, nor must one degrade these others Without legitimate reasons. One must, on the contrary, render to other creeds the honour befitting them. History in Europe
United States of America See also: Freedom of Religion in the United States The early colonies, although many of them were founded as a result of religious persecution, were not tolerant of dissident forms of worship. For example, Roger Williams found it necessary to found a new colony in Rhode Island to escape persecution in the theocratically dominated colony of Massachusetts. It was not until the 18th century that Enlightenment concepts of freedom of individual worship gained ground both in Europe and America. The modern legal concept of religious freedom as the union of freedom of belief and freedom of worship with the absence of any state-sponsored religion, originated in the United States of America. This issue was addressed by Thomas Paine in his pamphlet, ''Common Sense'' (1776): "As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensable duty of all government, to protect all conscientious professors thereof, and I know of no other business which government hath to do therewith… The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was written in 1779 by Thomas Jefferson. It proclaimed: "No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." History in the East Since the time of King Piyadasi's (304 B.C to 232 B.C) (Asoka), the geographical region around India had enjoyed period of many decades of peace and prosperity. One of King Asoka's main concern was to reform governmental institutes and exercise moral principles in his attempt to create a just and humane society. Later, he promoted the principles of Buddhism and the creation of a just, understanding and fair society was held as an important principle for many ancient rulers of this time in the East. The importance of freedom of worship in India was encapsulated in an inscription of Asoka: Religious freedom and the right to worship freely was a practice that had been appreciated and promoted by most ancient India dynasties. This had been the underlying attitude of most rulers of India since this period from before 300 B.C. until 1200 AD. The initial entry of Islam into South Asia came in the first century after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. When around 1210 AD the Islamic Sultanates invaded India from the north-east, gradually the principle of freedom of religion deteriorated in this part of the world. They were subsequently replaced by another Islamic invader in the form of Babur. The Mughal empire was founded by the Mongol leader Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. The word "Mughal" is the Indo-Aryan version of Mongol. Contemporary Debates The contemporary idea of religious freedom as a human right remains a contested topic. The major areas of debate are listed below. Islam Islamic theologians, for instance, quote the Quran (Verse 2:256) "There is no compulsion in religion" to show Islam's support for religious freedom. Thus, conversion to Islam has to be strictly a matter of personal choice. Saudi Arabia, that holds the sacred sites of Mecca and Medina, does not allow public practice of religions other than Islam. Christianity The theological views of Christianity, whether Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox, are mixed. The Catholic Church endorsed religious freedom for all in the ground-breaking Second Vatican Council Declaration Dignitatis Humanae. This was itself inspired by the work of the Jesuit theologian John Courtney Murray. Some Protestant Christian churches, such as Seventh-day Adventist Church and some Baptists also have a strong committment to religious freedom for all - as do the Mormons (who describe themselves as Christian, although many Christians disagree with this). The Russian Orthodox Church strongly opposes religious freedom, although many Orthodox Christians, especially those living in democratic countries, support religious freedom for all, as does the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Debates Regarding "Right to Change" or "Propagation" of religion Among the most contentious areas of religious freedom is the "Right to Change" one's religion. Some schools of Islamic jurisprudence, for instance, regarding converting out of Islam as a crime punishable by death. See Apostasy in Islam. Other debates have centered around restricting certain kinds of missionary activity by religions. Many Islamic states, and others such as China, severely restrict missionary activities of other religions. Greece, among European countries, has generally looked unfavorably on missionary activities of denominations others than the majority church and proselytizing is constitutionally prohibited. Israel has also tried to restrict Christian missionaries. A different kind of critique of the freedom to propagate religion has come from non-Abrahamic traditions such as the African and Indian. African scholar Makau Mutua criticizes religious evangelism on the ground of cultural annihilation by what he calls "proselytizing universalist faiths".•
Some Indian scholars have similarly argued that the right to propagate religion is not culturally or religiously neutral.• In Sri Lanka there have been debates regarding a bill on religious freedom that seeks to protect indigenous religious traditions from certain kinds of missionary activities. Debates have also occured in various states of India regarding similar laws, particularly those that restrict conversions using force, fraud or allurement. Conflict of Religious Practice with Secular Law Religious practice may also conflict with secular law creating debates on religious freedom. For instance, even though polygamy is permitted in Islam it is prohibited in secular law in many Western countries. Does prohibiting polygamy then curtail the religious freedom of Muslims? The USA and India, for instance, have taken two different views of this. In India, polygamy is permitted, but only for Muslims, under Muslim Personal Law. In the USA, polygamy is prohibited for all. This was a major source of conflict between the early Mormon Church and the United States until the Church finally amended its position on polygamy. Similar issues have also arisen in the context of the religious use of hallucinogenic substances by Native American tribes in the United States as well as other Native practices. Reaction by the Sikhs The Mughal empire was a fanatical Islamic force determined to convert the masses to their faith. So much so that when the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak was a young man, he witnessed the inhumane treatment of the masses. In reaction to this barbaric exploits to innocent people, a new religious force was born. The main reason for the creation of Sikh faith at this time was to challenge these acute violations and the open excesses of the Mughal empire. In about 1526, the founder Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak wrote in their Sikh holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib: From about this time, the freedom to worship freely was under attack and gradually many millions were converted to Islam under the threat of the sword. In 1675, to combat the forced conversion of the local Hindus into Islam the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur performed perhaps the only act of sacrifice by a person for another religion . The ninth Guru offered his head to save the Hindus of Kashmir . The Sikh Guru is sometimes referred to as "Tegh Bahadur, Hind di chadar" meaning "Tegh Bahadar, the protector of Hindus". The Tenth Sikh Guru wrote in the chapter Bachitar Natak of Dasam Granth ikh services obstructed the Mughals and their progress in forced conversions was eventually halted by the Sikh Empire. See also International law In International law the freedom of religion and belief is protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This protection extends to those professing belief in no religion which includes humanist, atheist, rationalist, and agnostic beliefs. Religious freedom and foreign relations of the United States The United States formally considers religious freedom in its foreign relations. The International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 established the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom which investigates the records of over 200 other nations with respect to religious freedom, and makes recommendations to submit nations with particularly egregious records to ongoing scrutiny and possible economic sanctions. Many human rights organizations have urged the United States to be still more vigorous in imposing sanctions on countries that do not permit or tolerate religious freedom. Some critics charge that The United States policy on religious freedom is largely directed towards the rights of Christians, particularly the ability for Christian missionaries to evangelize, in other countries. Literature Ending the Culture War Over Religion in America, Encounter Books, 2005, ISBN 1-59403-083-9 Religion and the Rule of Law, Cambridge University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-521-85304-4 See also | |||||||||||
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