Religious freedom and fairness for all #fairness4all

Religious freedom is a subject that has always interested me. But in recent years I have been looking at it with special attention. Obviously because I am religious myself, but also because I am liberal and therefore pro free speech. Pro freedom of choice, an ideal that is also held in high esteem in our Mormon church.

I am also keeping a closer eye on it because I think that religious freedom is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Mind you, I understand why. Extremists – of any religion – abuse the flag of religion to cover their objectionable content. The reaction of our society, however, is also one of oppression and discrimination.

Religious freedom: does it still exist?

Take as an example the whole polemic about gay marriages (about which I wrote before). As far as I'm concerned, it's perfectly possible to give two people of the same sex their freedom of choice and let them choose to spend their lives together. I don't want to and I won't do anything to prevent them from doing that.

But can I also have the freedom to believe for myself that marriage and associated sexual relations only belong between a man and a woman? Or should I now be discriminated against in retribution for all the discrimination against LBGT in the past?

Don't believe in private stupidity

I think that our society can only be called truly enlightened if there is room for all these opinions. And by place I do not mean that faith is only tolerated if it is placed in a dark, private corner. I don't see why a gay parade is possible and why it is impossible for me to approach someone on the street and ask them to talk about Jesus Christ.

In Russia, both are now impossible. Inciting homosexuality is as punishable as doing missionary work on public property. “Yes, that's Putin's Russia,” I hear you say. However, I can assure you that I have already received numerous responses that people have nothing against religion “as long as it is done in private”. In other words: away from the public domain. The only difference between Russia and here is that it has now become law over there.

Fairness for everyone

I advocate reasonableness for everyone. Just as someone should not be discriminated against because of gender, age or orientation, someone should not be pushed back because of his or her faith. So if there are calls to amend our constitution under the guise of “religious freedom should not be explicitly mentioned”, we must be alert and ask ourselves where reasonableness is heading.

In all reasonableness, we must respect each other first and foremost. Then it is about the value of each individual. Only when we no longer recognize that value are standards necessary, but even then those standards must be based on reasonableness for everyone.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke to BYU students on this topic in September 2015. For those who are really concerned with this subject and do not just start arguing from emo-rationality, make the effort to really listen to his words. I cannot imagine that anyone who calls themselves enlightened would disagree with Elder Rasband: