Do We Need To Reevaluate The Term 'Religious Freedom"

Religious Freedom is a word tossed around a lot these days. The context of the phrase in simpler terms for many is:


    "An Individual or Group is free to worship as he or she sees fit"

The problem with the definition is that many people around the world are subjugated to inequalities based on religious freedoms. It is not just ISIS, it is most major world religions. It is an illusion for many that they are "Free" to worship and it is the will of their God to be subjugated. The opposite is happening as individuals without realizing it live in a society that free will is subjugated to religion.

The true definition of Religious Freedom is as follows:

     "The ability of an individual or group to impose their religious beliefs on another individual to worship in a certain manner or context."

Religion is conceptualized for an individual. They are given an illusion that "all things happen for a reason." The problem with this concept is that factually, individuals are misled into believing that somehow life is based on divine intervention from a higher power. It is a subtle manipulation. For example, the higher power is credited with positive interactions in a person's life while never credited with negative events in a person's life. This leads to complicated scenarios to question religion within an individuals thought process known as doubt. Supports are provided within most religious organizations to stamp our all doubt. Doubt is the enemy of free will, and must be squashed for a person to successfully achieve religion is many religious groups.

Today's definition of religious freedom can be torture for children around the world. We see the images of recruitment internationally, but ignore the negative effects in our own back yard. Subtle bullying and intimidation to lead children to a higher power exists in our communities and schools. There lacks protection for children from groups that want to convert a child to their ideas of religion. Parents who are not particularly religious will be subjected to religious groups imposing their will on children starting in Middle School.

Can religion be a positive event for a person? Absolutely. Religion can be a positive force in a person's life through free will. When it is a personal choice or reflection, the connotation has a different meaning. This is a better definition of "Religious Freedom." When your natural rights lead you to a path of learning, it is through freedoms that you achieve an informed decision about God.

Think about daily informed decisions people make without the help of other individuals or groups. It is those decisions that people feel complete, and well informed. We are a nation that free will is governed by our Constitution. Our Declaration of Independence was founded on the truth of free will. It is this form of religious freedom that existed back in the 1700s. People came to religion freely when our nation was founded. This was the basis of the 1st Amendment in regards to freedom of religion.

We as a nation need to reinvigorate protecting the religious freedoms of children and adults to naturally decide for themselves the right path to a higher consciousness, including the path to a higher power. A new dialog regarding the context of the phrase would serve the 21st century well, and possibly move us forward into a world of generous thinking versus war and conflicts. That is the true definition of religious freedom.