Freedom Of (And Freedom From) Religion

Last week, I ran across a news story about a 2 � year-old little girl named Neha who had been the victim of an abduction and brutal rape in her native Pakistan because her Christian father would not convert to Islam. Neha�s father worked on a dairy farm where he was repeatedly pressured to convert to Islam by fellow employees. Because of his refusal to embrace Islam, one of the employees attacked his daughter as payback.

(The link for this story can be found here: Rescue mission to save a persecuted family)


Well, let me say this...

It infuriates me whenever I run across stories like this about religious zealots that truly believe they have the God-given right (excuse the pun) to force their beliefs on someone else by bullying, threatening, and often times, physically harming them. And it makes my blood boil when they target the most innocent and vulnerable of all: children.

How in the world do you justify the assault of a toddler in the name of any God? How?

Now (and excuse my bad language, albeit only slightly vulgar), I don�t give a rat�s ass what religion anyone is devoted to, and whether it�s made up of millions of followers or just a handful. And I don�t give a rat�s ass if someone believes that their religion is the one and only true one, and that whoever doesn�t subscribe to it is going to burn in hell for all eternity. And I don�t give a rat�s ass if someone believes that their God or prophet or saint or angel � or who-e-ver - speaks to them personally, and that they�re designated messengers of their preferred religion. And I don�t � and never will � give a rat�s ass if a specific religion is practiced by the majority of the population in any country.

None of that matters to me because it all comes down to this:

No one, and I mean no one, has the right to terrorize or harm another human being simply because they don�t share the same spiritual beliefs. No. One.

Religion is a personal choice. We all have the right to determine what spiritual path we wish to follow, and whether we even want to follow a spiritual path at all; that choice is ours to make � no one else�s. We all have the right to practice � or not practice - a religion, any religion, without fear of persecution or retaliation. How - and what - we choose to practice, or not practice, is a decision we should be free to make.

If someone is content with their beliefs, if it brings them peace and joy, and if they�re honest to goodness convinced that they are �saved� and that their soul will live for all eternity in a heaven above, that�s great. I wish them well, and I am sincerely happy that they have found something that is a source of comfort and inspiration to them. But that�s where it ends. With them. Their choice. Their life. Their soul. Because not everyone shares those same views. And they certainly shouldn�t have to.

As One Free World International (an international human rights organization based in Toronto) states on their website:

�OFWI believes that, along with the right to life, religious freedom and freedom of conscience are the first and most fundamental of human rights. The ability to believe (or to choose not to believe) in something beyond our material existence, in accordance with our individual conscience, and to manifest that belief in practices and observances is one of the most essential distinguishing characteristics of the human race. Thus, persecution of people for their beliefs or coercing others into adopting, changing, or denying their beliefs denies the very humanity of the person who is thus violated.�

(Note: OFWI, together with Canada's Minister of Immigration, Jason Kenney, helped Neha�s family to relocate to Canada where they are free to practice their religion without fear. Amen to that.)

Incidentally, this post is not focusing on any particular religious group, Rather, it�s focusing on individuals who are religious bullies (tyrants, dictators, persecutors, intimidators, extremists, fanatics, fundamentalists, totalitarians, oppressors...insert whatever word appeals to you), no matter what their beliefs, that aggressively, and violently, force their views on others. So please don�t write about how I�m targeting � or discriminating � against any specific religion. I�m not interested.

And finally, to all religious bullies everywhere:

- Learn to live and let live.
- Learn to respect diversity.
- Learn how to be tolerant, respectful, understanding and compassionate towards all fellow human beings.
- Learn how to stay on your side of the holy fence.

I draw very clear lines in the sand on religious boundaries. Your freedom of (or freedom from) religion ends where my freedom of (or freedom from) religion begins.

It�s my soul. Let me worry about it.

Who died and made you God, anyway?