Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

The loveless marriage: 'religious' and 'freedom'

By Hugh Harris - posted Wednesday, 23 December 2015


On Monday 30 November, the Australian Human Rights Commissioner, Tim Wilson, issued a media release outlining the initiatives resulting from the inaugural Religious Freedom Roundtable held on 5 November 2015.

As an attendee representing the Rationalist Society of Australia, I was heartened by the constructive and secular attitudes of many of the 36 faith and non-faith groups who were there. Any misgivings about the value of such a discussion, or fears it was driven by a particular agenda, were quickly assuaged by a robust and freewheeling debate.

But there was still a common misunderstanding that religious freedom applies mostly to believers in god, and that the beliefs of those who intersect with them are not quite as important. Believers have consciences. Did non-believers miss out? It's hard to break out of the habit of regarding "conscience" as something belonging to believers only. But that's only an echo of the past. People have rights. Abstract ideas don't have rights, nor do they confer them.

Advertisement

Moving forward, how we choose to understand the term religious freedom is key. In public discourse it's often the vehicle delivering the religious conscience to the public square. Especially in the US where, for example, the Manhattan Declaration used it to legitimize civil disobedience in opposing same-sex marriage, and pro-life causes. But this is not what religious freedom means.

The unhappy marriage of the words "Religious" and "Freedom" is one of convenience.

And there's no doubt who wears the pants in this relationship. "Freedom" is a grand and illustrious word, the torchbearer of human rights, and the aspiration upon which nations have been built. "Religious" adds little to its lustre, but rather, basks in the radiance of its virtuous benefactor, invoking a dissonance reminding us of times when it was more often associated with words like "persecution", "blasphemy", "heresy", and "war".

Thomas Jefferson, one of the authors of American freedoms, observed that "History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government".

It's better to think of religious freedom as freedom of belief. That way, it's less likely to be used as a Trojan horse to favour religion.

Religious Freedom is derived from the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, which safeguards the right of "freedom of thought, conscience and religion". Freedom of thought is in fact the true progenitor of freedom of religion – which tells us that, amongst the maelstrom of beliefs, religious beliefs have no special currency. And that's why Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights explicitly protects faith and non-faith based beliefs equally.

Advertisement

One would have thought that this settles the matter. Article 18 also says that freedom of religion or belief has limits prescribed by law or to protect safety, order, and the rights and freedoms of others.

So why then do we still hear "religious freedom" invoked a by faith groups when they are in conflict with the law, or with the rights of others? I was curious to hear what acrobatics might be employed to justify this rendering of religious freedom.

At the Roundtable some faith groups argued for the "religious freedom" to act in a way consistent with their "purpose". Understand "purpose", in this context, to refer to an organisation's mission, vision and values.

  1. Pages:
  2. Page 1
  3. 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

35 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Hugh Harris is a freelance writer who owns a blog called The Rational Razor on philosophy, and rational thought, and is a member of the Rationalist Society of Australia.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Hugh Harris

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Hugh Harris
Article Tools
Comment 35 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy