The Limits of Religious Freedom?

[ReluctantMathematician]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behavior that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behavior that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

The starting point is deciding who or what is in charge of determining these religious freedoms.

 

[ReluctantMathematician]

The starting point is deciding who or what is in charge of determining these religious freedoms.

I think the starting point is just talking about it.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behavior that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

Who decides those limits?

Every person and group of people have biases; and, their biases can influence the freedoms and limitations people have in a given society. Some for the better and some for the worse. It is good to talk about it, but then can we do so civilly without overtalking each other and presuming status and authority as a means to limit their peers?

 

[Nakosis]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behavior that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

Civic law. Assuming you have a good system of democratic government.

We the people should have discussions and enact fair laws which prevents religious freedom from running amok.

 

[Samael_Khan]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behaviour that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

Well there clearly are accepted limits in place. That is why certain dangerous cults have had leaders imprisoned because the group engages in practices that are considered crimes. So at present there is religious freedom within certain boundaries already. We must figure out what behaviour that is not obviously dangerous at face value is actually unacceptable, and add those to those boundaries.

 

[sun rise]

A basic one is that one religion should not dictate to other people of different or no religion.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behavior that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

Religious freedom is to be able to choose and follow the religious teachings that each person find to be closes to what their belief tell is the truth.
Religious freedom is to be able to practice the teaching one has chosen to follow without being ridiculed by others especially those who hold no belief at all.
Religious freedom is to actually follow the teaching according to what it says and not fear for once own life because of the religioues belief.
Religious freedom means each Religious person have full right to speak about his or her belief at any given time.

But unfortunately that is not a world we live in today. The word we live in today want Religious freedom taken away from believers.

 

[metis]

So my question is what are those limits?

This is determined by each society, so there's no one-size-fit-all answer.

 

[ReluctantMathematician]

Religious freedom is to be able to practice the teaching one has chosen to follow without being ridiculed by others especially those who hold no belief at all.

Why especially those who hold no belief at all? That seems like prejudice to me. Also what about people's freedom of expression?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Why especially those who hold no belief at all? That seems like prejudice to me. Also what about people's freedom of expression?

Because most of the ridicule toward religious people comes from non believers. I know because i see it every day.
I want it to stop but i know it will never do.
So the answer to the OP for me is, there is no freedom of religion in the world anymore, because if someone tell what the religious teachings says, often it ends up in ridiculing because the religion has other rules then the "norm" of todays views.

 

[ReluctantMathematician]

Because most of the ridicule toward religious people comes from non believers. I know because i see it every day.
I want it to stop but i know it will never do.
So the answer to the OP for me is, there is no freedom of religion in the world anymore, because if someone tell what the religious teachings says, often it ends up in ridiculing because the religion has other rules then the "norm" of todays views.

I think you likely just need thicker skin and that freedom of expression should apply equally to both religious and non-religious people. What you are suggesting is just a way to oppress people whose views you disagree with.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I think you likely just need thicker skin and that freedom of expression should apply equally to both religious and non-religious people.

Yeah, thicker skin is always the answer......

 

[ReluctantMathematician]

Yeah, thicker skin is always the answer......

I should have every right to express my views about religions such as Islam even if you don't like what I have to say about it.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I should have every right to express my views about religions such as Islam even if you don't like what I have to say about.

Yes, but then you should also be prepared to be answered back to by those who are believers. All i say is that believers are no longer accepted for their religioues beliefs since some of the religious rules are seen as bad or stupid by non believers.
Religion are for those who practice the teachings, not for those who do not practice any religioues teachings.

 

[exchemist]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behavior that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

This seems to be a legal question.

I should have thought the general legal principle would be that one person's religious freedom cannot impinge on another person's legal freedoms. (I add the caveat "legal" because nobody's freedom is absolute.)

 

[exchemist]

I should have every right to express my views about religions such as Islam even if you don't like what I have to say about it.

So long as you do not engage in hate speech. If you do that, you are breaking the law, at least in the UK.

Basically you can criticise the religion all you want, but you are not free to attack the followers of that religion without restraint.

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

Religious freedom is too often used as an excuse to engage in behavior that puts others at risk (i.e. not vaccinating your children) and as an excuse for bigotry and prejudice towards minorities. While religious freedom is a vital cornerstone for a free society, it also must clearly have limits. So my question is what are those limits?

Well, even as religious I don't view it as religious freedom. I view it as a combination of human freedom, rights and duties.

 

[ReluctantMathematician]

So long as you do not engage in hate speech. If you do that, you are breaking the law, at least in the UK.

Basically you can criticise the religion all you want, but you are not free to attack the followers of that religion without restraint.

If I said Islam is made-up nonsense, would you consider that hate speech? Or just freedom of expression?

 

[exchemist]

If I said Islam is made-up nonsense, would you consider that hate speech? Or just freedom of expression?

You're a mathematician, right?

Why not re-read what I wrote, and then tell me what you think I am saying about that?