Although religious rights may seem like a simple concept, in many instances these natural rights are not only neglected, but abused as well.
Humans, whether they are modern or from the past, all share one common characteristic-they need security. One of the few creatures to comprehend the inevitability of death also happens to be one of the few to create its own security through one concept: Religion. Spiritual ideals have varied from culture to culture for thousands of years. Everyone needs hope and some form of moral principle and boundary to have stability; religion provided these needs. But what happened to the spiritual views of our ancient ancestors? Mythology-the views that society had 100 percent faith in thousands of years ago are now taught as myths. What happened to the search for personal happiness through religious conviction? Consumerism. Who needs religion when you can buy your happiness? For these reasons and more, the natural right of spiritual freedom has gone neglected, emphasis on organized religion has faded, and the age of apathy has begun in modern society. And while many of those with this innate right neglect it, others violate it. It wasn't enough to only have the hope that came from their spiritual ethics; People also needed the security that their own, and only their own, religion was the right one. The freedom for one to choose his or her own beliefs was violated, and the paradox of "holy wars" followed. Although religious rights may seem like a simple concept, in many instances these natural rights are not only neglected, but abused as well.
One of the fundamental motivations for the creation of the United States was to escape religious persecution. Considering the suffering people went through to obtain this goal, some might wonder how a large portion of people overlook their right to religion. The answer is simply that many people lack the time and energy to have religion as their main state of mind. More and more people steer away from traditional practices, while others simply remain agnostic or indifferent. Of course people have the right to choose what they want to believe when it comes to religion, whether it be indifferent or not, but the fact that people from the past risked death to express their passionate views can cause some disappointment, especially when compared to the apathetic new generations of the modern world.
While some fail to take advantage of their religious rights, some take an opposite turn. When mankind is willing and determined to kill others over their religious values, that is when this natural freedom is truly violated. The feeling of superiority for one's own religion to the point of murder crosses a boundary. It can be seen throughout history- genocide, massacres, warfare, and more-the ironic holy war, and killing for God. What does it accomplish? Increased pride and a growing conflict. And while some suffer for staying true to their beliefs, others with freedom at their disposal forget to utilize it, and in the end neglect it. When one person's freedom fails to realize the freedom of others, a line is crossed. When one's faith comes at another's expense, a violation has been made.
In a world where religion can potentially cause more harm than good, changes are necessary. People must understand that personal beliefs are universal. When those beliefs justify injuring others, however, they are abused. Even though the right to have personal ideals may seem so common in today's society, especially in religion, it is just as wrong to neglect this right as it is to violate it. Personally, in a world full of so many options, my best action to take is simply to try to live life with as much decency and understanding as possible. Anyone can have beliefs, religious or not, but all that really matters is that people stay true to them. With new generations of growing apathy, all one can really do is have faith in something. While faith in organized religion may fade, it is still just as acceptable to have faith in life, family, and especially yourself.
