Freedom of religion is why some people have come to make our country the place of their new home. The Freedom of religion states that the government cannot force a religion on you; you can be of any religion you desire and practice that religion freely. This amendment is one of the reasons we get to call the United States a country of freedom.
The history of religious freedom more or less began around 1635, with Rodger Williams who granted anyone that came to Rhode Island religious freedom. In 1779, Thomas Jefferson tried to write a bill to grant religious freedom to all the people who lived in Virginia but the bill was not passed. On December 15 of 1791, the first amendment, which included freedom of religion, was adopted and established.
Freedom of religion has its advantages and disadvantages. An advantage to freedom of religion is that people are able to practice and share their beliefs with people of their religion. Having a group with similarities can provide individuals with a purpose and benefit their mental health. Another advantage to freedom of religion is that they help the less fortunate. Religious charities tend to cater to those in need and that benefits the population who is less fortunate.
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Having freedom of religion also presents some disadvantages. A disadvantage to freedom of religion is that it is another way for people to separate themselves and create a divide. There have been multiple incidents where people of different religions will create an “us against them” divide due to not having the same religious beliefs. Another disadvantage to religious freedom includes people using their religion as a scapegoat to their misconduct. There are people who commit crimes or misbehave in society and use their religion to justify and save themselves from punishment. Having religious freedom also means people can share their beliefs and opinions with others and that can cause conflict. For instance, some religions despise the LGBTQ community because it is against their beliefs and people often get into conflicts because of it.
In the social climate of today, there is a lot of tension between people of different religions. There are people who want to convert others to their religion or shame people who are different due to their religious beliefs, which is why the amendment of freedom of religion should be revised. A possible revision is ‘citizens of the United States may be a part of any religion they desire and practice their religious beliefs, but may not discriminate against anyone of another religion, cause stress, harm, or treat anyone poorly who does not follow their religious beliefs, and may not course others to change their religion.’ This change is necessary so it can give people of the LGBTQ community and other minority groups a chance to express themselves with more freedom without having others harass them because of it.
