m****a
发帖数: 9485 | | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 2 http://newsroom.lds.org/article/introduction-religious-freedom
For many people in the world, there are few things more precious than
freedom. Freedom — the power to live as one would choose — is one of the
great sources of human dignity. Exercising freedom correctly is also one of
the great responsibilities that humans hold. We continue to grapple with how
to define our freedoms, how to understand them, and how they should be both
cultivated and tempered. At the heart of these questions, we find one of
the most fundamental of all freedoms: freedom of religion. | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 3 What is freedom of religion?
Contrary to what some may assume, religious freedom is not simply the
freedom to worship or to believe the way one chooses, though these are
essential parts of it. Neither is it just for religious people. Religious
freedom is actually deeper, broader and more important than most realize.
At the most fundamental level, religious freedom is the human right to think
, act upon and express what one deeply believes, according to the dictates
of his or her moral conscience. In fact, religious freedom has always been
understood in conjunction with “freedom of conscience” — the liberty to
develop and hold moral convictions and to act accordingly. So while
religious freedom encompasses the liberty of religious belief and devotion,
it also extends well beyond that, incorporating the freedom to act — to
speak freely in public, to live according to one’s moral principles and to
advocate one’s own moral vision for society. The breadth of religious
freedom and its relationship with freedom of conscience helps explain why
religious freedom is important for everyone, not just for people of faith.
The United States of America has a long and exceptional tradition of freedom
of religion, a virtue that was embedded in the original documents of the
nation and extolled by its founders. Enshrined as the preeminent freedom in
the U.S. Bill of Rights, religious freedom is the first among other
essential liberties and is often referred to as the “first freedom.” It is
characterized this way because it enables and protects other human freedoms
, like freedom of speech. Indeed, the culture of liberty and peaceful
democracy in the United States in large part emerged from its firm respect
for religious freedom. Like the United States, many other nations have also
come to acknowledge this most essential of liberties and made it a central
premise of their own governments. The United Nations, in its Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and in many other compacts since then,
has identified religious liberty as “a fundamental human right.” | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 4 Religious freedom and society
This fundamental right is indispensable in the diverse societies of the
modern world, where the rights and interests of different parties often come
into conflict. Since the potential for animosity is greatest where
differences are most profound or where majorities dominate, freedom of
religion is critical because it allows people with differing convictions
about the deepest matters of truth to live together peacefully. A careful
regard for this freedom protects all groups and individuals, including the
most vulnerable, religious or not. When honored, religious freedom helps to
avert violence and to mediate conflict.
Nations around the world that have nurtured religious liberty have witnessed
its positive effects on society. While cases of religious extremism have
blemished the public image of religion, scholars recognize that religion
imparts vital benefits, including harmony and stability, to the societies
that support it. Their scholarship consistently shows that religious people
typically are more civically minded, more generous and more neighborly than
their nonreligious counterparts. Empirical data also suggest that
religiously free societies enjoy many other benefits, including higher
levels of other freedoms, than do those where religion is repressed or
disadvantaged. These benefits are additional reasons why religion should be
free to flourish in society. | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 5 Honoring religious freedom does not mean discarding other freedoms and
social interests or subverting the law; religious freedom coexists with
other legitimate interests in society. Government has a critical role to
ensure public safety and to arbitrate the conflict of some rights with
others. In the United States, we maintain a healthy independence of church
and state, though we should not sequester religion’s moral influence from
the nation’s public affairs. Religious freedom does not exclude other
interests, but as the “first freedom,” it ought to be given due respect. | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 6 Mormons and religious freedom
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have great reason
to revere religious liberty. From a history that at times has involved
religious persecution, Mormons have a special appreciation for the freedom
to speak and live according to their convictions and faith. Religious
liberty, in fact, has been significant for Mormons since the beginning.
Church founder Joseph Smith was a strong and generous proponent of this
principle, and he recognized that it was critical for all parties to
reciprocate in upholding it. “I am bold to declare before Heaven” he said,
“that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbytarian
[sic], a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same
principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would
trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other
denomination.”
In a 19th-century Mormon settlement, Smith also underlined the importance of
religious freedom by introducing a city ordinance that guaranteed religious
freedom for inhabitants of all faiths. Freedom of conscience and religion
were incorporated into the Church’s Articles of Faith, which explain, “We
claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of
our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship
how, where, or what they may.” Mormons are steadfastly committed to
religious liberty and to its protection. | h******g
发帖数: 262 | 7 信仰自由其实是：信仰不能勉强。白话一点，爱信不信，假的信了也真不了，真的不信
也假不了。
如果你认为你信得是真的，就不要怕反对
如果你认为不信是对的，对于信的这帮傻子，你就饶了他们吧。 | m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 8
说的有一定道理。我觉得信仰自由还有重要的一点，就是不给跟自己信的不同的人定罪。
道理很简单，在这个世界，信仰是个人的机遇和选择，每个人有神赐的选择权。如果因
为和自己的看法不同，就定别人的罪，或者歧视和嘲笑别人，都有违信仰自由的精神。
【在 h******g 的大作中提到】
: 信仰自由其实是：信仰不能勉强。白话一点，爱信不信，假的信了也真不了，真的不信
: 也假不了。
: 如果你认为你信得是真的，就不要怕反对
: 如果你认为不信是对的，对于信的这帮傻子，你就饶了他们吧。
| m****a
发帖数: 9485 | 9 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates
of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them
worship how, where, or what they may. Articles of Faith 1:11 (1842)
The Saints can testify whether I am willing to lay down my life for my brethren. If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing before Heaven to die for a “Mormon,” I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbytarian [sic], a Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination; for the same principle which would trample upon the rights of the Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of the Roman Catholics, or of any other denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves. Joseph Smith (1843) |
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