аЯрЁБс>ўџ 9;ўџџџ8џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС%` №П0Ќ bjbj"x"x 40@@рЊ!џџџџџџЄv v v † – – – Њ ююю8&:$Њ MVjj€€€[[[ЬЮЮЮЮЮЮ$Ѓh Ќђ– ”[[””ђ– – €€лЈЈЈ”– €– €ЬЈ”ЬЈЈ– – Ј€^ @ЮВыnЩю”šЈЬ0MЈЗ.jЗЈЗ– Ј$[>™,ЈХ$щЋ[[[ђђ˜[[[M””””Њ Њ Њ D юЊ Њ Њ юЊ Њ Њ – – – – – – џџџџ  Freedom of Religion and Belief in the 21st Century A submission to the КкСЯЧщБЈеО for the Freedom of Religion and Belief project. Australia is great place to live! Australian society is becoming more diverse -a more interesting and rich living experience- by the day. This is so, not only by immigration, but also through the dissemination and availability of information. Information that reflects the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the immediate and remote circumstances of the world that we live in. Diversity not only provides us a richer community, but also raises a number of questions about values. It is my reasoning that the best possible result is a system of values based on respect towards the individual. Thus I collected my thoughts around the following subjects with the hope that they may be useful to shape future policy. Religious (Private) Schools These schools should abide by a common minimum statutory curriculum (federally mandated?). Any religious education shall be imparted as an additional to the standard common curriculum. As these schools are a choice for parents, they should be financed by their respective communities and any fees they can charge for their students; the government will not contribute towards their support. Religious Education in Public Schools Public schools should be the place where any student can attend to gain an education. In our society, it is impossible to cater for all modes of belief and non-belief, any kind of religious education will eventually infringe upon somebody's right. Thus, no religious education should be imparted in public schools. Anybody wishing to impart religious education may try to organise the activity as an after-hours endeavour. Mutilation of КкСЯЧщБЈеО Any practice that seeks to permanently alter the physical integrity of a human being without consent should be penalised by the law. Mutilation practices such as circumcision (male & female), ear piercing, etc. need to be considered child abuse. Secular Welfare Welfare is the way that society cares for those in need. There is bound to be people of all kinds of background, beliefs and non-belief in need of help. The use of religious organisations as providers of welfare may cause some of those in need to go without so as not to be -or seen as being- indoctrinated by the religious provider. More to this argument is the need to ensure that under no circumstances welfare recipients will be discriminated against when their non-belief or belief practices do not meet those of the people in the provider religious group. Taxes for Religious Organisations In Australia, membership to a religious organisation is an option. As such, there is no mandate for the government to provide tax relief. If a religious organisation supports a charity, then, the contributions to the charity should be considered tax deductible in the same manner as with any other legal entity. Religion and Clothing Anybody has a freedom to wear whichever clothes they see fit as long as they do not infringe on the common expectations for exposure, decency and need for mutual trust. Where these start and finish is quite debatable, these notions have a delicate sensitivity to the environment and context. I postulate that in our society to be seen nude from head to toes causes an expectation mismatch as acute as somebody that is covered from head to toes. Religion and Work Non-belief or belief of any kind is a private matter. In a working environment there should be no need for the employer to make provisions or make facilities available to cater for any, some or all groups of employees. Regarding holidays, a system where an employee nominates a number of days (for example six days per year) for their need to comply with religious obligations should be protected by law. Those employees that have a lesser need could nominate the extra days to be added to their annual leave. Religion, Gender and Society Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind. Belief or non-belief system, gender, sexual preferences, etc. are all variations that enrich our society, but should not -under any circumstances- alter a person's legal status, rights and freedoms. On Abortion This is a subject that seems to raise passions beyond reason. The issue at the core seems to be that some people or groups believe that they must protect the embryo or foetus; a potential human being at all times at all costs, without consideration for the opinion of the woman that carries the pregnancy. The circumstances when a woman decides to terminate a pregnancy are for her to assess, with all the support that society can provide. The role of the government in this case should be to provide unbiased, factual support and assurances either way. In the end, it must be the woman's choice and only hers. On Euthanasia Again, this is a subject that seems to raise passions beyond reason. The issue at the core seems to be that some people or groups believe that they must protect the life of a terminally ill individual beyond what this individual thinks is reasonable. Each person is ultimately the actor that lives it's own life, and that life belongs to nobody else. A person that makes a choice to terminate a painful, sometimes humiliating and hopeless situation with full understanding deserves to be treated with respect and helped in a professional way. Religion and Science Religion is defined as a “concern over what exists beyond the visible word ... that (it) operates through faith or intuition rather than reason ...” and science a “systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation”; there seems to me that there is a basic mismatch of purpose and method. It is thus that both religion and science should exist in separate domains with no or minimal overlap. Neither science should intervene into religious affairs nor religion be used to alter the path of scientific endeavours. --- End of Submission --- Based upon Universal Declaration of Human Rights (articles 2 & 7) (http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm). 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