Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs Options

I hope this is the right forum for this. Pretty lame that this happens...
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...01/%20505260481
Athena

I’m not saying that you would notice it as a standard citizen. But there are restrictions, as to what religions you can belong to. That you are forced into one religion is frightful, there are few countries left that do that.

But in the USA you can start any religion you want as long as you have 13 people and a place of worship. If you worship a person they have to be dead 50 years…there are a few other stipulations but not many.

Freedom of religion is just that, you can choose to believe what you want and how you want. Europe is far from that. In Europe you mostly have freedom from religion, meaning you are not mandated to be religious, but not of religion.

I’m not saying that you would notice it as a standard citizen. But there are restrictions, as to what religions you can belong to. That you are forced into one religion is frightful, there are few countries left that do that.

But in the USA you can start any religion you want as long as you have 13 people and a place of worship. If you worship a person they have to be dead 50 years…there are a few other stipulations but not many.

Freedom of religion is just that, you can choose to believe what you want and how you want. Europe is far from that. In Europe you mostly have freedom from religion, meaning you are not mandated to be religious, but not of religion.

Hmm, I actually got interested to find out how things really are. According to law in Finland, you can start your own religion if:

At least 20 over 18 years old people can start a registered religious community. To register a religious community you need to inform the Patent and Registration Office.

The Freedom of Religion board working under the Ministry of Education gives the Patent and Registration Office their statement if the community is against the Freedom of Religion law.

Religious communities can apply for a right to hold weddings.

Taken from the Ministry of Education web pages. (The term "religious community" means any religious organization, including the evangelical lutheran and orthodox churces).

TBH, this is one of those things where you really can't talk about Europe as a whole.

If you're truly interested, here are some links:

Registered religious organisations in Finlandhttp://www.uskonnot.fi/english/byreligion

The Religions in Finland Projecthttp://www.uskonnot.fi/english/

One of the registered communities:http://www.azazel.fi/english.shtml

This post has been edited by ComaOfLoss: Nov 20 2007, 09:26 AM