We explain what religious freedom is and why it is important in today's society. Also, its history and where it is threatened.
What is freedom of worship?
The freedom of worship or freedom of religion It's one of the Fundamental rights of humanity, which allows everyone to freely choose and profess their religion, beliefs mystical or his atheism or agnosticism, without ever being a victim of oppression, discrimination or forced conversion.
Recognized in numerous international treaties and documents, including the Universal Declaration of Human rights (art. 18), freedom of worship goes far beyond mere religious tolerance, since it is not simply a matter of supporting others to practice their beliefs in a separate area, but of guaranteeing through the laws and from Condition that such practices are free, peaceful and free from persecution.
The latter is, of course, possible to a greater extent in secular states (that is, without official religion), despite the fact that even in those cases there is a majority religion, transmitted generationally and strongly anchored in the tradition. But this does not mean that the State should take positions to favor one Church over another, but quite the opposite: in the West, religion and worship are private, personal, intimate matters.
Unfortunately, this reality is not always true at all countries the world, and there are still numerous cases of crimes committed against religious minorities, especially in the theocracies Y nations fundamentalist culture. Freedom of worship is often considered equivalent to freedom of conscience, that is, the freedom to think what one wants and have the freedom to do so. opinion you want to have.
Freedom of worship is common among democracies modern liberals, especially in the West. However, in earlier times the persecution of the Jews, for example, was common currency in Europe. Also, in the Middle Ages the wars "Santas" against the Islam they sent thousands of Muslims and Christians to their deaths.
That is not to mention the work of forced conversion and punishment and torture carried out by the Saint Inquisition Catholic in Europe and America, pursuing any form of unofficial worship, considered back then heretical, sinful and contrary to divine law.
According to the report on religious freedom prepared by the United States Government, today religious freedom is under threat in countries such as Burma, China, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, and to a lesser extent in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Laos, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Turkmenistan and Vietnam, despite relative advances in the matter achieved by their governments.