Building a Moral Society: Chapter One
Religious Right
by: Jason Cunningham
Jason: We need to come with a suitable way of protecting the
religious freedom of our citizens. I'm staying on the topic of protection of our
citizens.
John: Let us first speak specifically concerning the right to
worship, and I did read your earlier remarks.
Jason: The right to worship should be universal except where
another human life is desecrated or endangered by any ritual or practice. So
anything that is considered worship would fall within the scope of this
reasoning.
John: Clever, however not as defined as it could be. Try
this on for size, if you carry an 60 lb pound urn to the altar is it not true
that your life is in danger, if you are not fit, yes or no?
Jason: Ok yes.
John: This is a
more definitive definition for you to ponder. You have the right to worship
except where a ritual or practice has a higher probability of death or serious
harm, whether mental or physical injury is possible, protection under the laws
is not guaranteed. However in some cases religious rites would be
protected, for example, if your religion leads you to handle snakes, and
it is an important part of a service or ritual it would be permitted, so long as
that a reasonable person knows that this specific animal has not showed a
propensity to harm humans, even if its species normally does. Children are
protected by the state under such religious freedom laws, yet the parents will
be held responsible if they are injured, thus holding the religion organization
at no fault unless gross negligence occurs, applying a reasonable person
standard.
Jason: That's a mouth
full, but a very precise definition and allows for greater religious freedom.
Two things that must be protected include the right to practice religion and
freedom of speech. Let us continue to discuss this fundamental right.
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