Freedom of Religion

Freedom of Religion (Writing Synthesis 2)

By Desri Fitriana

            According to religion rights in United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) that everyone has the right to determine their own faith and creed according to conscience. Everyone has the right to the privacy of his belief, to express his religious beliefs in worship, teaching, and practice, and to proclaim the implications of his beliefs for relationships in a social or political community. So, actually in this synthesis I will focus towards faith or religion in the United States, in order to explain, illustrate, compare and contrast between religion in The United States and in Indonesia.

            I have recently known that in The United States religion separates from states, because freedom of religion in The United States as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, consist of two important components. The first is a prohibition on the "establishment of religion" by government - the separation of Church and State; and the second, ensures that the government allows for the practice of religion (Perry, 10). The Amendment reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (Constitution). Also, the Fourteenth Amendment supports freedom of religion as it includes a provision protecting the rights of individuals from the encroachment of state law (Constitution). Many important court cases throughout American history have further helped to refine the limits of freedom of religion as laid out in the Constitution (ACLU).

            At the first time I thought that religion in The United States properly arranged by states like in Indonesia, but my assumption is wrong. I recently heard that religion separates from states in The United State. Actually I really quite shock, because the super power country like American, the states has not been privileged to getting involved too much towards their citizen’s faith. Actually faith does not mean that you do not have doubts or that you relinquish your hold on this world. It means, that is why American did not arrange religious commitment towards their citizen, because it relates as a matter of individual conscience, so we may be tolerant of other people’s religious beliefs.

            According to United States Demographics profile 2012 about religions, 95% of Americans believe in God. So, let me to illustrate the percentage of religions in The United States. This is the percentages:

Protestant 51,3 %, Roman Catholic 23,9%, Mormon 1,7%, Other Christian 1,6%, Jewish 1,7%, Buddhist 0,7%, Muslim 0,6%, other or unspecified 2,5%, unaffiliated 12,1%, none 4% (2007 est.).

So can you imagined in The United States actually consist of various religions that you free to choose based on your conscience? Unfortunately, beyond those religions that I already explained, actually in The United Sates also has another religious, such as The Pilgrims, Evangelical Revivalism and Mormon. “The Pilgrim is religion to escape persecution and practice without impediment to their brand of strict Calvinism” (Obama, 2006). “Evangelical Revivalism has repeatedly swept across the nation and waves of successive immigrants have used their faith to anchor their lives in a strange new world” (Obama, 2006). Meanwhile, Mormon is an ideology which diverges of Christian, but they pretend as a Christian, but actually the real an adherent of Christian assume that their ideology is wrong. Mormon profess they are different from Catholic and Protestant churches. Mormons reject traditional Christian beliefs about God, Jesus and the Trinity. So, they have their own way to pray and believe in God.

            Actually is really quite the same with Indonesia’s condition nowadays about some an ideology which diverge towards the real religions. Let us take a look toward Ahmadiyah which pretend from Muslim. Ahmadiyah is one of another religions that assume their as a Muslim, but actually their way to believe in God really different from the real an adherent of Muslim, such as the way of their prayer (Shalat) and the way believe in Prophet Muhammad, etc. So that is why, the problem religions in The United States also face in Indonesia. The difference is religions in Indonesia are one of the responsibilities of the government to properly arrange that rights. For example in our residence identification card (KTP) also available column for religions, but in The United States there is no column for religions only for your races.

            I agree with Obama’s statement on The Audacity of Hope Book that he were able to see faith as more than just a comfort to the weary or a hedge against death; rather it was an achieve palpable agent in the world. I think if we discuss about religion is a something that relates toward superstition. As a Muslim in Indonesia, I believe in my religion and not the slightest doubt that I profess the religion now. Though all religions are basically good, but for me, I cling to my religion is Islam. I believe in god in my heart. So, you can believe whatever you believe, as long as you do not disturb others. Religion it is our rights, it relates our private matter. So, whether you want to believe in God or not, it is your choice. No one can encourage you.

 Sources:        

American Civil Liberties Union: Freedom Network News. (1998). NY Times Op-Ed Advertisement.

Obama, Barack. (2006). The Audacity of Hope. New York: Three Rivers Press.

Perry, Michael J. (1997). Religion in Politics: Constitutional and Moral Perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press,

Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/16/AR2007021601704.html On 26 May 2012.