The following principle is based on a previous series of letters to the editor of mine printed in the Times-Union and about 27 sources of information listed in those letters, most of which is available at the Warsaw Community Public Library for those who would be interested in doing their own research. This is also the final version of this principle as it has gone through several alterations since it first appeared in 2001. Hopefully, readers will find it to be of some use in evaluating current controversies over issues of religious freedom and in understanding one of their fundamental human rights.
Freedom of religion is the inalienable right of each person, whether alone or with others, to peacefully, openly and freely profess belief in and engage in the practice of a religion of one's own choosing or for to one to profess no belief in and refuse to practice any religion at all and for each person to be free from having acts of persecution, force conversion, intrusion and the establishment of a universal state church/state religion or militant state atheism inflicted upon them by any part or whole of any local, state, national, continental or world government.
In order to conform to the word limit in the letters to the editor policy, a brief explanation of the above principle will follow shortly.
