Freedom In American Society

Objectivist and libertarian theorists use the term "free society" frequently. The term is commonly used to describe a society in which ideal legal, economic, and political goals are achieved. In theory, a free society consists of all individuals who act willingly and have the potential to achieve the required authority to fulfill their potentials (Swyngedouw and Erik, 42). According to Adlai Stevenson, a free society is one in which an individual feels secure being unpopular. Other scholars contend that free speech, association, and private dialogue are essential components of a free society. In a free society, people will come up with voluntary associations that may include communal society and the free market. The associations are always formed without nay fear of arrest or physical harm or imprisonment.

The role of biblical religion has been greatly associated with the formation and history of the western communities. Since the emergence of Christianity, it has been the major source of all communal services such as the health care and the schooling. It has also improved arts, philosophy and both political and religious cultures. Christianity has affected the vice and virtues of the western society in various ways. The teaching of Jesus and his ministries with his declines has been promulgated in the western region and some of the world countries.

Festival such as the good Friday and the Easter Monday have been marked public holidays by the Christians. The belief has been adopted by societal and political policies resulting into a normal livelihood. The west counties now celebrate the Easter and Good Friday in every year in the month of March. People come together and express the appreciation of the religion and the early life of Jesus. The holidays are recognized by the employers in both the public and private institutions allowing Christian workers to express their joy freely without going to work.

The Gregorian calendar has also adopted by the International as the civil calendar. The calendar is always measured as from the date of the birth of Jesus (Durante et al. 32). The church influence on culture has been of very significance. The church came in to replace the fallen Roman Empire. Christianity through their mission works built school and universities. In the Western societies at the moment, it is believed that many cathedral and universes in the region were as a result of the continuation of the teaching of monasteries.

Through schools, people can interact freely and share ideas without fear. People can learn in different specialization and schools of their choice. The knowledge and ideas individuals can be shared freely within the societies without the fear of criticism. Also, through Christianity, sacred music have been composed like the Vivaldi and the Bach expressing different feelings of religion. There is no restriction in any act of religion in the west.

Christianity has also greatly influenced political activist and the western philosophers. One of the outstanding examples is the teaching of Jesus about the parable of the Good Samaritan. The ministry is among the significant concept of the modern beliefs of the human rights and the government welfares provided in the western region. Individuals can comfortably express their views and freedom of conciseness in all perspective. The rights and duties of all citizen have been maintained with the government taking care of all citizens.

The death of God has made Christians to strongly build an irresistible hope in suffering. There is always a belief of the future resurrection of the dead. This has created a belief that Christianity is dying for self and living for the Christ Jesus. Being in existence has to do with the knowledge that one is a living reality. Lack of sense of vitality means that one no longer exist. Death is the absence of the real life. Carrying the argument to spiritual real, when a Christian dies spiritually means that the self is no longer in existence. Christians believe that self is not the reason for one existence. Individuals are less concerned with their happiness and will and cannot arrange the universe around him or her. Cristina believes that God created them for a reason.

All genuine children of God would want to be used by God for a purpose in the world. This is guided by the word of Jesus as quoted in the book of John chapter 15 verse 8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples." Therefore Christian preserve themselves to be used by God in a holy way. With the belief of future life. They are guided by the words of Apostle Paul that says that to live is Christ and to die is always a gain.

The religious first amendment clauses have got two provision. The first one is the establishment of clause followed by the exercise of the clause. The establishment of the clause is a provision that prohibits the federal state of establishing a religion (Smidt, et al. 52). It meant the prohibition of any state sponsored church. An example being the Church of England. On the other hand, free exercise clause protects the ordinary citizens their rights of practicing the religion of their choice. However, the practice should not go against the moral of the public or in any way compelling the interest of the government. An example is Prince v. Massachusetts clause 321 United States 158 in 1944 that would apply a force of inoculation to children whose parents would not give in to such action for the purpose of religion.

Today, the Constitution explains the establishment of religion as governed under the doctrine of the three-part test. The doctrine was put into action by the United States government through its supreme court. The doctrine is in the Lemon v. Kurtzman in the section 403 U.S 602 of 1971. The section states that the government can only offer assistance to the religion only if the main purpose is secular (Hurd and Elizabeth Shakman, 47). The assistance must not promote or in any way inhibit religion. Lastly, there should not be an excessive predicament between church and the government. The Two clauses have been conflicting with each other. The court views that if it protects one clause, then it sides with the other and vice versa. However, the Supreme Court has always been the ultimate arbiter to solve the problem.

Works Cited

Durante, Kristina M., Ashley Rae, and Vladas Griskevicius. "The fluctuating female vote: Politics, religion, and the ovulatory cycle." Psychological Science 24.6 (2013): 1007-1016.

Hurd, Elizabeth Shakman. Beyond religious freedom: the new global politics of religion. Princeton University Press, 2015.

Smidt, Corwin, Lyman Kellstedt, and James L. Guth, eds. The Oxford handbook of religion and American politics. Oxford University Press, 2017.

Swyngedouw, Erik. The post-political and its discontents: spaces of depoliticization, spectres of radical politics. Edinburgh University Press, 2014.