Abstract:
One has freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. This claim is common,
but it rests on a misunderstanding of what real freedom of religion entails. The
most important thing to remember is that freedom of religion, if it is going to
apply to everyone, also requires freedom from religion. Why is that? One does
not truly have the freedom to practice one’s religious belief if one is not also
required to adhere to any of the religious beliefs or rules of other religious.
Freedom from religion does not mean, as some mistakenly seen to claim, being
free from seeing religion in society. No one has the right not to see churches,
religious expression, and other examples of religious belief in our nation, and
those who advocate freedom of religion do not claim otherwise.
What freedom from religion does mean, however, is the freedom from rules and
dogmas of other people’s religious beliefs so that people can be free to follow
the demands of their own conscience, whether they take a religious form or not.
Thus they have both freedom of religion and freedom from religion because
they are two sides of the same coin.
