Universal Religious Freedom

[USAlex]

Religious Freedom. It should be Universal. What can be done to help this along?

..................

[Australia]

......put everyone on weed..... =__=;


On a more serious note, I'm not sure that religious freedom can ever fully be achieved -- especially universally. Even in individual countries, differing religions still breed unrest, minimal as it is. And I haven't even started on the derisive attitude of athiests against religious people...best case scenario, they tolerate it. ^_^;

[Indonesia]

In our case, we major on 4 different religions and let everyone choose freely. Although, the contrast of the religions do have an effect on each other... so when the imperialists and such declare this, I don't think it'll have any effect at all and things would be just the same as it is >.>

[USAlex]

...but...I'd have to legalize weed first to make that work!

-switch to serious-

I think that religious freedom, universal religious freedom, can be achieved. In terms of the state not coercing anyone anymore. Unfortunatly, the plans to achieve this only work if either all nations simultaniously decided to be tolerant (heh, more than unlikely), or a world-state existed that was tolerant. Also unlikely in the near future.

However, even if the achievement of the goal is currently too far off to plan for, it is important to slowly work toward it anyway.

...
so, I was looking into what my country was doing toward this end, and found the "United States Commission on International Religious Freedom", USCIRF.

This Commission's website contains some interesting and applicable information. For one, there are 13 nations considered, "countries of particular concern". They include: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Now, the one that I wish surprised me was China. The 2010 report by the Commission on that nation: www.uscirf.gov/images/ar2010/china2010.pdf

...

Good news, the Commission approved Australia ;D !
www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51504.htm#

....
which reminds me. I tried to look up other nation's religious freedom organizations, and found that most had something for tolerance and freedom in their own countries, but not for others. Is it weird that the US is concerning itself with the international, then? I don't know...but to do so seems right.

...

Hm, it seems there is not much to discuss on this issue...it is an obviously and universally good goal. I'm just glad for the USCIRF...now to go check to see if Congress ever actually listens to them.
...

[Indonesia]

Those listed countries are a matter of concern. My country has a special connection to Saudi Arabia for Indonesia is the largest muslim nation in the world... though we have other religions too. Apparently they are extremely strict according to religions and still convey with old traditions today and... we can't do anything to North Korea... >.> especially in their situation lately.

[Russia]

"Religion is the opium of the people," as said Karl Marx. Religion is counter-productive and does not, in any way, help the State to advance.

[UK]

Like Indonesia said, the most you can do is hope everybody tolerates other religions.
Then again, most religions teach tolerance and its just the actions of small groups of individuals that mar the reputation of tolerance. (Thinking of Al-Qaeda here).
Religion and the nation's politics and state should be kept separate, because personal lives shouldn't affect the country.

((America, you can always modify the post on the first UN meeting to keep it directly to North Korea, I guess.))

[USAlex]

Well, as much as I am personally agnostic, that is one Marx quote I do not completely agree with. Unlike substances like opium, ideas, like religions, do not take their inherent properties (such as being opiates and dulling the mind, etc), from themselves. Instead it is almost entirely up the how an individual exercises that religion.

You know why religion exists? It is a natural product of our fears and hopes. It provides some people solace and purpose. Almost like Art, or Literature, or Music, it may not be exactly "productive", and may not seem to help the state advance, but they are all important in the fabric of human society. I almost consider such things as needed for a human mind's proper functioning as sleep is or good nutrition.

(plus, remember, the State is just a means to get to an end, not an end in and of itself)

[Indonesia]

I'm pretty much agnostic too ((A WOMAN OF SCIENCE!)) and I go through a basic philosophical and ethical way of life. I can't really explain the rest though it affects greatly towards my religious beliefs (Alex you know 'what' i'm talking about). I don't really think religion is quite a productive way to help the world in advance though... I do believe that religions do provide moral ethics to each and everyone of us.

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
- Albert Einstein

"Science can purify religion from error and superstition;
religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.
Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish....
We need each other to be what we must be, what we are called to be."
- Pope John Paul II

So... yeah it says it all.

[UK]

I doubt scientists and religious fanatics are ever going to be great 'friends' because of the ethics. If the Catholic Church ban contraception because it's unnatural, shouldn't they ban all science since it's unnatural? (That is, if you think curiosity and following your curiosity is unnatural.)

[Indonesia]

That's fail.

[USAlex]

BAN SCIENCE?!?!?!!??!??!??!?!?!??!?!? ....impossible. THEY'D NEVER STOP MY SCIENCE.

[Indonesia]

exactly... once they ban science, it's like... banning school y'know.

[UK]

Banning doctors, biologists, animal conservationists, medical researchers and God knows how much else.

Religion and science don't go together at all, in my opinion at the very least.

[Indonesia]

but they do, it's a system that works with the universe. without religion in science, they'll go all wacko and weird shit and assume far too much till your mind neglects moral ethics. without science in religion, everything would be falsifiable.