RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

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Furthermore, in a recent past, the catholic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy felt compelled to make a speech declaring he was loyal to America and not to the pope. With this event we notice again that America is not totally free when speaking about religious matters because the presidential candidate, who was faithful, had to repudiate his fidelity to the pope, just in order to become president.

In America the first Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law which establishes a religion, impeding the free exercise of religion and reducing the freedom of speech. It was adopted when the Bill of Rights was written.

Whereas, we think that in spite of the attempt of the government to make believe that there is religious freedom in both countries, this freedom doesn't exist.

In America and the United Kingdom we can see some official phrases that are related to God and religion. One example of that is the national song of England “God save the Queen” and the bill phrase of America.

The hymn "God Save the Queen" could represent people of the country when there was an absolutist monarchy but, nowadays, from our point of view, it only represents the institution of monarchy. In the period where people thought that God was who choose the monarchs this hymn could be a good option.

The first time that this patriotic song was sung was in 1745. In that moment, people thought that monarchs were the representatives of God in the Earth and because of that they were admired by the common people.

Nowadays, there are people that think that this hymn doesn’t represent the common people, but it represents the royal family, and more specifically, the Queen.

In our opinion, the exhibition of an ideal monotheist in the currency of the nation, violates this restriction and therefore it is unconstitutional.

The phrase printed in the bills and recorded in the coins of the United States “ In God we Trust” is in the middle of a social and juridical debate. The organisation “From Religion Foundation”, group that promotes the total separation of the Church and the State, and other 19 plaintiffs have denounced to the Department of the Exchequer of the USA for supporting the above mentioned appointment because this is discriminatory and it is against the atheists or the persons who believe in other religions. This motto forms part of the Americans for almost a century and a half.

In spite of the fact that some Americans think that this phrase is a discrimination towards not believers or followers of other religions, many citizens of the United States think that the motto "In God We Trust" has lost his religious meaning and now it's a symbol of patriotism.

In conclusion, we think that Britain and The United States should be completely laic countries, respect and enforce the Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://sociedad.elpais.com/sociedad/2013/03/25/actualidad/1364240840_716079.html

http://web.stanford.edu/class/e297a/The%20History%20of%20Religious%20Conflict.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/salem-witch-trials

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#