By: JASMINE RODRIGUEZ
English 11; Lancaster High School
Teacher: A. Dickey
We should be enjoying our religious freedom in this country because it is guaranteed by our Constitution. In fact, many of our legislators pass bills and laws protecting our religious freedom.
My favorite is House Bill 5958. The bill, known as the Michigan Religious Freedom Restoration Act, restricts government ordered actions that “substantially burdens” an individual’s exercise of a “sincerely held religious belief.”
HB 5958 stirred national controversy. Still, it passed the House and it’s on its way to the Senate. Legislators favored the bill because they want to uphold religious freedom. Michigan Catholic conference spokesperson Tom Hickson labeled House Bill 5958 in favor of tolerance and diversity.
Those who oppose the bill think that if it is passed, medical professionals may deny services for the reason of religious preferences. Also, employers might impose their faith on their employees. Beth Duman of Livingston Country PFLAG, an organization for parents and families of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, questioned HB 5958.
Despite what’s in our Constitution and despite what our legislators are doing, so many people still get unfairly judged because of their religion.
People get misunderstood every day because their religion is different from the rest. I personally witnessed my friends being judged because of their religious views. They were told that they will go to hell because of their beliefs. I also witnessed gays, lesbians, bi-sexual and transgender people being judged because of their sexual orientation or religious preference. I believe that it’s not right to label them that way.
We all have the right to worship as we choose based on our beliefs. We are all free in that aspect – as far as this country is concerned – and we should defend our choices in life.
For instance, I was raised to stand up for what I believe in and to be accountable for my own actions and decisions. As an atheist, I don’t believe in a god. I don’t believe that there is a heaven or a hell.
I have studied four different religions in my whole life – Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Atheism. The first three talked about everything religious, specifically about a god. They all tell you different things. It’s confusing and difficult to decide what’s true and what’s not; that is why I chose to be an atheist.
That’s my personal point of view. I don’t pressure anyone to believe in what I believe in. I don’t bother or judge them because of their religion. I respect them because that’s their idea of how to live their lives.
I am aware that people often judge me by saying that I am a “devil worshiper,’’ which I am not. I just don’t believe in any god or denomination. That’s all.
People often think that I’m bad because of the music I listen to, or the friends I have. In reality, my friends and my type of music have nothing to do with that. Some people happen to be very religious, and I am not. I will continue to respect other people. I will not judge them, because I am not a judgmental person. I think everybody will just have to do that. If we can just respect others as much as we want to be respected, then life would be better.
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This article is part of Youth Speak Out, a new section in The AV Times featuring editorials by participating Lancaster High School students. Read more about this initiative here.
Erik Gunderson says
Thank you for your essay, Ms. Rodriguez.
I would challenge you to continue exploring the relationship of law and religion; it is a fascinating topic. For instance, in your essay, you mention concerns in Michigan concerning doctors or pharmacists refusing to provide certain kinds of treatment to patients based on religious belief. Should the law require a pharmacist who objects to contraception to nevertheless give out birth control pills? If not, then how is the patient to get them? Bear in mind that, especially in more rural parts of a state like Michigan, not everything is the way it is here in our part of California — there may only be one pharmacy serving an entire town. Or, it could be that every pharmacist (who are free to believe as they choose) all subscribe to the same set of religious beliefs. So it’s not necessarily an easy answer to say “This pharmacist can just hand off handling the patient to another one who doesn’t have that religious objection,” because there may not be another pharmacist available who lacks that objection.
You’ve also seen in the reader reaction to your comments several people who insist that their set of religious beliefs are correct and that other kinds of beliefs (including your own) are incorrect. These seem intolerant, and I’d caution those people dispensing such beliefs that they are addressing a young woman still in her formative stages, and their beliefs may not be best advertised cloaked in anger, condemnation, and hostility. I agree with your sentiment, Ms. Rodriguez, that people should be tolerant of one anothers’ beliefs — but at the same time, if we allow others to believe as they wish, how are people in a society that aspires to tolerance to handle others using their freedom to not only believe as they wish, but to forcefully insist that others ought to believe as they do?
These are not easy questions to contemplate, and we have been grappling with them as a nation since before the Revolution. You may find as you wrestle with these kinds of issues that multiple ideas all seem to have merit, and that they can’t all be right at the same time. Learning different perspectives about our multifaceted culture and the way the law deals with people who have differing belief systems is a significant part of learning about what it is to be an American. Knowing that there are young people like you who undertake to learn these things, in a serious and thoughtful way, gives me hope that the vibrant debate and exchange of ideas, which is the only real way we can all live in a diverse community, will be an ongoing endeavor into the future. Best of luck to you.
William says
@Erik Gunderson
Very well said.
Of course we have freedom to believe whatever we want in this country but problems arise when a person’s beliefs take priority over their job duties.
Imagine a Christian Scientist working at a blood bank or a hospital and refusing to do anything. Ridiculous? Why is that any different than a pharmacist not willing to dispense birth control meds? He/she doesn’t have to take them.
And, problems arise when some elected officials want to legislate based on their beliefs that will affect everyone.
it’s a constant battle to keep religion out of where it isn’t appropriate. We see how persistent some of the faithful are.
William says
Moll Flanders-from a novel.
“The daughter of a thief, young Moll is placed in the care of a nunnery after the execution of her mother. However, the actions of an abusive priest lead Moll to rebel as a teenager, escaping to the dangerous streets of London. Further misfortunes drive her to accept a job as a prostitute from the conniving Mrs. Allworthy”
Wow! What a name to pick for oneself. Speaks volumes.
moll flanders says
William dear William, you left the rest of her life out. You seem to do that a lot, you know, leave certain parts out so you can try to make good ole Moll look bad. Shame on you for leaving the rest of Moll’s life out of your comment. Speaks volumes William! I don’t know how old you are William, but judging from your attempt to make me look bad, well, you’re probably about twelve years old. Are you using mom’s computer? You don’t even know the complete story of Moll Flanders. You should know what you’re talking about before you comment William.
William says
You’re ‘why wait’ aren’t you?
BTW You gave yourself that name. I didn’t.
William says
@moll flanders
Why? Have you completed her life story yet? Doesn’t sound like it. I figured that was as far as you got.
You’re ‘why wait’ aren’t you? Fess up.
bird says
“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right, and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage; but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.” C.S. Lewis
Matt K. says
“I have studied four different religions in my whole life – Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Atheism. ”
Your English teacher should have helped you edit this before publishing it.
Your sentence should read like:
“I have studied four different religions thus far in my life — Catholicism, Mormonism, the Jehovah’s Witness denomination and atheism.”
Done says
Remove the stick from your butt, you’ll feel much better!
logic says
Great, now because unlimited religious freedom the entire nation could be converted to Islam. Welcome to a new future of control by religion where the constitution says your free but you enslave your mind to a false belief.
Well the constitution says that government can not give aide to religion and it can not hinder religious practice. Religion needs to pay taxes and they can use their profits for the expansion of their ideas.
RF says
So you’re claiming that millions of American christians & jews are going to suddenly think that islam is a better deal?
Steve says
Says the troll on the sidelines. Let me guess your conveying atheism/progressive thoughts eh? Go back to the 15th century, or better yet, start your own country.
Jenny says
Jasmine,
Thank you for this thoughtful, courageous essay. You have done what many adults have not, sincerely examined faith and made a choice about what speaks true to your heart. Never stop that journey!
M. says
I appreciate your thoughts and values in regards to writing this article. Many people are afraid to speak about religion publicly. What I appreciate the most is that the subject is approached from a very moral stand point, as morals should be the basis for anyone’s beliefs, whether religious or not. I’d also like to thank your teacher at Lancaster High School for allowing, and supporting your rights to the freedom of self expression on such a charged issue.
Jenny says
Very well stated M.
RF says
Atheism isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship with reality.
William says
@RF
I prefer the word ‘rationalist’ and would like to discontinue the use of ‘atheist’.
‘atheist’ presupposes that there is something ‘real’ to be preceeded by the letter ‘a’ to oppose or reject it.
We don’t call ourselves ‘asanta claus’ or ‘aunicorns’.
‘realist’ would also work.
Phil says
Atheism is only a profession of your ignorance…………..it’s clear that you have zero experience in this and any area of survival…………BTW…..Atheism is only reality if you LIVE it!……………..just sayin…………………………….
Jacob Winters says
Atheism is for someone who’s too intellectually reactionary to follow the Socratic path in science and too spiritually lazy to bother exploring the various paths and traditions that have existed for millenia, or at least educate themselves on them (Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Shamanism) but would rather pretend that all religion originated in the Middle East.
Done says
Ah, Socrates, euthyphro should have whooped his butt and told “never talk to me like that again!”
William says
@Jacob Winters
Full definition of SUPERSTITION from Merriam-Webster online
1 a : a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation
b : an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God resulting from superstition
2: a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary
This fairly accurately describes most peoples’ relationship to religion and. of course, the GOP has the same take on the world around them. So, naturally, it follows, that the GOP relies heavily on religion and that definiton of superstition, if you’ll notice. Not good for a superpower to have some of its leadership living in a superstition.
Humans are superstitious. Some superstitiions are usful in the same way a stopped clock is correct twice a day.
Now, what can be done about that? Being able to distinguish superstitions as such gives one freedom to discover what is really so in life. Hence, a more profound relationship to reality as it exists.
It is possible to be loving, compassionate, generous and living a life with integrity without any faith in a deity. Those qualities are available to all humans. Why go through a middle man when you can access those qualities directly? And, you don’t have to ‘believe’ in anything to do it.
Isn’t belief in an afterlife, by definition, a superstition?
Jacob Winters says
William,
Your religion is liberalism and your church/temple is the Democratic Party. You actually have faith that socialism works and is a viable economic platform. You believe in the mythology that such a system is not subject to fraud, waste and abuse — despite repeatedly demonstrating that it is. You believe in the mythology that Third World cultures are superior to Western Civilization. You think Section Eight is a wonderful program to help the less fortunate and cannot understand why people oppose it. Your “televangelists” are the hosts and personalities on MSNBC. Your Lord & Savior is none other than Barack Hussein Obama. It would not surprise me one bit if you didn’t have a shrine (complete with flowers and candles) to Barack Hussein Obama in your living room somewhere.
William says
Ah, Jacob Winters.
People who think and talk as you do will help elect a Democrat to the presidency in 2016.
Keep it up and thank you very much.
moll flanders says
William…People who think and talk as you do will help elect a Republican to the presidency in 2016. Keep it up and thank you very much.
William says
@moll flanders
Can’t you do your own thinking instead of that lame comment you made?
Read Jacob’s comment again. It was quite insane but yet familiar sounding as many on the right say stuff like that all the time. And, some of them are elected GOP officials. Yikes!
I suppose you think just like he does.
And, we can put you in the same grouping as him. You aren’t clever and you aren’t funny but you knew that.
William says
@moll flanders
You are also ‘why wait’ aren’t you?