The religious right, represented by Evangelicals like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, and some Catholics such as Senator Sam Brownback and Senator Rick Santorum, have a very different conception of religious freedom. George Lakoff, in "Whose Freedom," expresses their view pretty well:
"Freedom of religion implies the freedom to practice one's religion - to proselytize, to control your children's education, to do charitable work, and to act so as to follow God's plan by creating a society consistent with fundamentalist Christian values."
All very good - as long as they do not interfere with the freedom of religion of other people. Proselytizing often interferes. So does control of children's education. "Creating a society with fundamentalist Christian values" greatly interferes with the religious freedom of most people living in the U.S.
Roughly 76.5% of the U.S. population is Christian. Evangelicals are about 25%, but many like former President Jimmy Carter, are not part of the religious right. Add a few religious-right Catholics and you could not have more than 15 - 20% of the population. These holy people are trying to force the rest of us to conform to their dogma. This is not religious freedom.
People on the religious right want to have public prayer in the schools. Yes, religious freedom says they have a right to pray at any time at any school, as long they do it privately. Privately, because they should not interfere with the religious freedom of the Christians in other denominations, the Jews, the Muslims, the Buddhists and those who do not profess any religion.
People on the religious right believe that abortion is a sin. Well, if they believe this, then they are free to not have an abortion. But they have no right to interfere with the religious practices of people of different faiths that allow abortion, or with people who follow no religion. They have no right to impose their religious dogma on others.
People on the religious right want the schools to teach intelligent design. If schools succumb to their urgings, this will interfere with the entire scientific establishment and to all the parents who want their children to get a well-rounded education. This is interference on a large scale.
I am not against religion. I am for religious freedom. Religious freedom means freedom for ALL people, not merely for those who scream the loudest. Religious freedom means that you may worship or not worship in your own way, providing you do not interfere with the religious freedom of other people.
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