do you feel that it is freedom of religion...or freedom from religion?

Question

where does atheism fall into that category...what about freedom to believe there is no religion?

Answer 1

The constitution gives the people the assurance that there will be no religion, established by the government.



It then assures the people that they have the right to follow whatever religion they choose. It assures that the government will not hinder the people in the practice of their chosen religion, in any way.



It does not require any kind of spiritual belief on the part of the people. Atheists have every right to suspend belief. Due to our freedom of speech, they also have every right to pronounce their unbelief. However, they have no right to suppress the right of believers to likewise, express their profound belief in a higher power.

Answer 2

You know people use this passage



Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.



Thinking it's the government establishing a separation of church and state but the reality is the church encouraged that clause to keep the government from forcing the church from worshiping the government's religious idea of a church like it was done with Kings.



In the End, when all the government buildings are nothing but dust on the ground and when mankind can no longer wage war the only thing left will be God.

Answer 3

It was the religious people and the Priest that were blamed for the death of Jesus. I believe in Spirituality, not religion. They crucified their own in the name of the what the Prophet Moses laws were. They were always asking and following Jesus just to find Him disobeying the law of Moses, which they constantly did find. They did not and would not turn loose of the teaching of Moses, nor believe what the old Prophets taught of Jesus coming. Jesus picked corn on the Sabbath, he healed the sick, and even got the ox out of the ditch, so to speak. When we are in a religion

we are prone to believe what is taught or the interpretation of what the leaders of the church teach. Then they pass it on to us as infallible, at least some seem to do. Jesus or one of the apostles taught " let no man teach you except the Holy Spirit." The spirit is truth and so you, by the Holy Spirit, are able to have the truth by revelation. Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be open. He cannot not give you the interpretation of the truth, because He does not and cannot lie. Jesus Himself told the disciples, it they say I am in the wilderness, go not after me.

Just because atheism does not fall in the category of religion, they have the same free choice. I have read many answers from some atheist that seem to have more knowledge than some of us Christians. Some seem to be quite interested in what the Christian religions, or any other religious teachings of the day have to say. God is no respect of person. So if they are searching, they too shall be given truth like the word says. It may not be our truth, but apparently they have knowledge or we would not hear them quoting scriptures to us.

Answer 4

For those who believe in evolution there could not possibly exist any form of spirituality as evolution could not produce such; yet they should be able to enjoy the discussions. Those who believe that the universe always was with no beginning may believe in some form of spirituality, thus they automatically have a relationship to this site. To gain freedom from religion one would have to move to another planet. Most people don't think that stupidly and accept the reality of religion as a big part of the human experience.

Answer 5

Myth #1: Atheism is a specific ideology.

Actually atheism is GENERAL ideology that just means "without god(s)". As well as many "open minded", and "free thinkers", atheism also includes many other ideologies including: anti-religious, god/religion haters.



Myth #2: All atheists are open minded.

Atheism is an general ideology. Even a simple sweeping statement like "All atheists are open minded" is assigning attributes to others that they do not necessarily attribute or want attributed to themselves (close minded/fascist). Some atheists are very close minded, proud of it, and resent being told by other atheists (or anyone) how they should think.



Myth #3: Atheism cannot be called a religion because it is a lack of religion.

Many, but NOT all, atheists treat their beliefs in a way that is not compatible with our common conception of religion in that it requires spirituality and/or a "higher power".

Some atheists are spiritual (eg: Buddhists).

Some atheists are religious but consider their disbelief in a self-aware god to best conform with the term "atheist" (eg: some Pantheists).

Some atheists use their belief in certain scientific theories (beliefs backed with proof, but beliefs non the less) like a religion.

The dictionary definition of religion includes "3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices. 6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice. "

Some atheists ARE evangelical and actively attempt to convert people to their views. Some even use crude ridicule and insults to do this.

Answer 6

James Madison's first draft of the religion clause of the First Amendment is as stated:

" The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief of worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of Conscience be in any manner, or on any pretext, infringed."

That should make it clear to anyone who want to know the real truth that the Anti Christian society we have in force today is as far from originally intended as possible.It was VERY SIMPLY written because there were numerous Christian denominations and the Founding Fathers wisely built in safeguards so that no one sect could lord over others as the Catholics had in England from which they came.



For example in his Commentaries on the Constitution, Justice Joseph Story explained that because of the First Amendment...

The whole power over the subject of religion is left exclusively to the state governments to be acted upon according to their own sense of justice and State constitutions.

Justice Story also said...

"We are not to attribute this [First Ammendment ]prohibition of a national religious establishment to an indifference to religion in general, and especially to Christianity (which none could hold in more reverance, than the framers of the Constitution)...Probably at the time of the adoption of the Constitution, and of the Amendment to it now under consideration, the general, if not the universal, sentiment in America was that Christianity ought to receive encouragment from the state..."



The words "separation of church and state" are not in our constitution. What gets me is that a phrase (taken completly out of context, by the way, ) from a private letter written by Thomas Jefferson, who WAS NOT EVEN A MEMBER OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, has been used to attack Christianity in America for decades.



"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists but by Christians: not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ! For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity and freedom of worship here."Patrick Henry



Just as freedom of religion was to be protected you are free to believe or not.



It should speak volumes as to the framers original intent that the very next day after the First Amendment was approved, passed an act establishing chaplains. They established chaplains for the Senate, the House , the Army, and the Navy. Did they forget the day after they established the so called "separation of church and state" that they had done so? No they never established such a clause. The only way that one can come to the conclusion that the Founders of this country intended a purely secular state, where the state is

" neutral" (translate "hostile") to religion is by selective History .They base their decisions on a FEW selective passages from our history and ignore the mountain of evidence to the contrary.May the truth shine and put out the darkness of the lies! God bless!!

Answer 7

It is both and so many people like to think it is only freedom from religion and are totally wrong. One of the major reasons for the non establishment clause was to also protect people who practice their religion from religious persecution from the gvt and others.



It is not just to keep religion out of gvt. It is also to keep the gvt out of religion.

Answer 8

the first amendment states that every person has the freedom of speech, press, religion, and protest. freedom of religion does not limit a person to a certain religion. rather it allows a person to choose which religion to follow. just because it states freedom of religion does not mean that you must believe in a religion. you can choose to take it as freedom from religion because freedom of religion is freedom from a certain religion.

Answer 9

Freedom from religion was the way for me. It gave me the space to explore. I feel that I can follow a Spiritual path with out religion.

Answer 10

"freedom from religion" does it enough for me BUT as an Ozzie in Oz it doesn't affect me although I do feel a little insecure when the USian president says that he invaded Iraq cos 'god' told him to.

Those type of words make me cringe and it really hits home that there are people out there who actually believe there's an invisible man strutting about in the sky who watches everything the believer does, thinks and says, 24/7, AND if the believer doesn't suck up to him he'll caste them into hell for ALL of eternity ... cos he loves them.

~

Answer 11

I think freedom of and freedom from are both needed. Each individual needs to have complete freedom to choose his/her own faith or lack thereof, and no one should have the right to force their beliefs or standards on anyone else.

Answer 12

Freedom of religion is having a choice to choose your religion, OR not be religious at all.

Answer 13

More specifically, it is separation of church and state. This is a luxury that is taken advantage of by religious adherents. This amendment is the only reason religion has flourished the way that it has and they still work feverishly to legislate their faith. It will surely be the destruction of what they hold dear.

Answer 14

I believe that people should be free to practice their religion (including atheism) and the government should go pay the national debt or something and leave them to it.

Answer 15

As a Pastafarian theologist I welcome your enthusiasm towards His Noodly Appendage, but I must point out that part of your speech is pure heresy. You say that us Pastafarians do not believe in hell - may I refer you to The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, p.83 which states that Heaven contains beer volcanoes and a stripper factory. Hell is similar, except that the beer is stale, and the strippers have VD.

Answer 16

I personally think it should be Freedom FROM religion because there are still religious groups that want their own religion to be the primary religion of this country and put all who are not part of their religion as second class citizens.

Answer 17

Freedom of religion means we are free to worship as we see fit, even if that means some of us do not worship at all.

Answer 18

Not Rocket Science.



It's freedom of religious choice,

including that last box



"None of the above."

Answer 19

Freedom of and Freedom from religion.



Even if it says freedom of only.the for part is read in.

Interpretation is an essential component of the judiciary system for a reason.

Creators of constitutions and charters and legislatures cannot foresee everything thus you need interpretation.

Answer 20

It is both. Freedom to practice your religion or faith in a manner that does not harm others and freedom from having others push their religious views on you.

Answer 21

It's both. Atheists do and should have the same rights as anybody else to believe or lack belief as they are so convinced.

Answer 22

some people don't understand the simple concept of seperation of church and state



this country wasn't founded on the bible it was founded on religious freedom including not having one at all

Answer 23

I rather like the idea that I am not required to go to someone else's church and not get burnt at the stake.

Answer 24

It is freedom to believe as you want.

Answer 25

no feelings

it's freedom OF

Answer 26

they want to have no rules apparently but the first 4 commands are all about God so if you dont keep them it makes you a sinner!!

Answer 27

FROM, definitely.

Answer 28

I think it can and should be both.