by Rob Drew

Created on: April 08, 2008

This is a remarkable question. It could only be asked by someone who is seeking to create a sensational argument, or who is ignorant of what freedom of religion is.

In America women's rights can never come into conflict with "freedom of religion". There is never a need to choose between these rights. American is a country of laws. These laws define and defend our rights as citizens or residents of the United States. All American laws are independent of any religions beliefs, commandments, or customs. Some laws on moral issues such as theft and murder are similar to commandments in most religions. But they are not enacted and enforced for religious reasons. These laws are there for practical, common social reasons.

Many of the rights of American citizens are spelled out in the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. One of these, often referred to as "freedom of religion", is commonly misunderstood. Freedom of religion is not "the freedom to worship whatever God(s) you please, in any way you like". It is the freedom not to be ordered by the government to believe something about religion, such as religion "x" is the true religion, or that you must worship God "y". There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution giving people the right to exercise aspects of religion that are in violation of civil law.

Womens rights not specifically spelled out in the Constitution, with one exception, the right to vote. Women's rights are the same as men's rights. Women's rights are not about religion, they are specified in civil law. If a woman chooses not exercise her rights in a religious context, that must be her freely made decision, for example Catholic nuns. If a man attempts to subjugate women under the pretext of religion or any other claim, he is in violation of civil law and he goes to jail. His religious claims or views are not interesting, and have no influence on his guilt or innocence of violating the law. His freedom of religion has not been violated. In fact it remains protected. At the same time, his fellow citizens' rights have been protected from his attempt to violate them.

Let's have no more of these fabricated debates in America. Let us instead spend the time and effort to understand our laws and our civil culture, and to appreciated and respect both the rights and the honest beliefs of all men and women.

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