What is religious freedom?

Answer 1

The right to practice the religion of one's choice, or to be a non-believer. The persecution of men and women for their religious beliefs has a long history and is, even yet, far from universally eradicated.

Religious freedom is certainly a right, but if it is a right but not a fact then it remains an unfulfilled dream. It can be put down on paper but if it is not implemented and practiced then the old ways of persecution and intolerance continue unabated. Furthermore, religious freedom can be elusive when people turn a blind eye to those who act intolerantly and operate in various ways to deny religious freedom to others.

Religious freedom is also more possibly recognized in its absence than in its presence, in much the same way as we don't always appreciate health, but certainly notice it when we are sick. Of course since religious intolerance is generally frowned upon it often takes more insidious forms which all amount to the same thing. These forms can even include using all kinds of excuses or reasons to deny religious freedom, which is really part of, or akin to, the whole idea of freedom of expression.

Answer 2

Its "Freedom to worship" the freedom of an individual or community, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship; the concept is generally recognised to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any religion.

Answer 3

Religious liberty is a very misunderstood concept. At the most fundamental level, it means the right to hold and express whatever religious views one wishes and to worship according to those views, subject to the rights of others. The rights of others are infringed if those who hold a particular religious view attempt to impose them on those who do not hold that view, or if a serious crime is committed because of a particular religious view. Religious liberty is not only the liberty to believe and worship, but also the liberty to hold no religious belief.

Some with strong religious beliefs feel that their own religious freedom is infringed because they are not able to apply what they see as the moral codes of their own faith to others, but this is not the case. In fact, religious liberty is absent if the followers of one faith can require non-believers to apply moral codes that they would not otherwise follow.