SOCI200-D01_Discussion Thread: Religious Freedom

Discussion Thread: Religious Freedom

Part A:

As with just about anything that can be closely examined in this reality, I cannot express my opinion on the matter of “what religion means to me” without the inclusion of it being analyzed from both sides— one that is subjective and one that is objective. My close relationship with the very essence of literature has me further approaching matters in life in a more neutral or balanced mindset than ever before. However, this may not always be the case among some topics, and it can be quite mentally draining as well because I am human. With that said, firstly, what religious freedom means to me would see itself begin at the very beginning of chapter 7 in our textbook. The question “what is our ultimate purpose in life?” (Knox, 2022, p. 75) I believe is the starting point for just about any philosophical question concerning human existence and what follows.

I would like to think that religious freedom would find itself at the very start with the fall of man when he starts think for himself. Man made a choice whether to follow God’s command or think for himself such as the serpent tempted Adam and Eve when they first began to question and doubt God. This can be observed in the beginning of the book of Genesis:

“Yea, hath God said…?” (KJV Bible, 2003, Gen. 3:1)

Personally, I would like to attest that “the flourishing of free will in man is established the moment we imagine the disbelief in God”— or, at the least, the lack of faith in His power to do so. A belief starts as an idea and that idea grows, as stated by Knox,

“the faith system matures, it is celebrated in practices, rites, behavior, and moral codes” (75).

I believe humanity always has this selfish and unjustly desire to create its own meaning for life and it either reforms or misinterprets the Divine Law ordained by God. Thus, why we see the many religions and denominations we do today and I’m sure there are many more to come. Someone wants to pursue life or establish a movement based upon their self-inflicted “enlightenment” with this so-called “thinking-outside-the-box” mentality that displaces us from the authenticity of how we were meant to interpret reality or rather the reality we were instructed to live

by— not by our own understanding but in ALL thy ways acknowledging him (KJV Bible, 2003, Prov. 3:5-6).

Furthermore, the desire of man develops when the serpent tricks Eve into believing that by possessing the knowledge from the tree of good and evil and

“that ye shall be as gods,” (KJV Bible, 2003, Gen. 3:4-5).

God’s command was challenged and we (humans) have this tendency to put our ways above His.

A highly revered pastor that I have known since I was a teenager, I think said it well in one of his sermons that can be viewed on YouTube about the impact of the imagination of man. He gives a bit of an example with this through a message focusing on the topic “Technology in Theology.” Therein, he highlights how the modern progressivism of man’s pursuits by uttering that

“Innovation is good. Advancement and technology is not inherently evil in itself. It is not the media or the medium that is evil, it is rather man's imagination of how he is going to use it,"  (Pauley, 2026, 17:04).

I reference this for the sake of inferring that Man’s imagination is what stimulates the causality of his own desire (either associated or not associated) with God’s instruction. I would possibly be led to believe that there are many different avenues of approach or “religions” that may not all see themselves parallel with one another but perhaps the destination is what is most important. Even just making this statement immediately puts me in a contemplative state to discuss how this might not always be the case. However, there truly is only one way and I place much faith in that because in our humanistic reality of opposition, we live in a “multidimensional” way of thinking sort of speak. That is why the continue for this “answer to life” or “evolutionary thinking” which could even be identified as the use of religious freedom. Though, this selfish and prideful direction for Man’s pursuit and interpretation will always see itself questioning existence into a state of disguised insanity; and this “blind leading the blind” type of education will never ever see itself come to pass as there must be one higher entity in control and at work at all given times for providing ultimate meaning to our universe.

 In conclusion, I would like to say that religious freedom can see itself somewhere succeeding among humanity, but perhaps it can fall into too progressive of a shift among generations via sociologically speaking. It may be dangerous allowing too much of this freedom be at play especially when someone or a group tries to portray themselves equally as God or as Jesus rather than adhering to His instruction whilst striving to be meek and lowly in heart like Jesus (KJV Bible, 2003, Matt. 11:29).

Part B:

Free will, or sociologically put, “agency” is defined as all people, all individuals, operating independently regarding their attitudes, actions, and interpretations (Knox 83). I cannot help but see this as how it can be rather corruptive if not applied respectively through Divine instruction and handled with the love of Jesus. Though, God shewed us much mercy that he would allow us to have this…, well, currently I am having a hard time to either identify this more as a gift or more as a curse. With that said, then perhaps identifying whether this free will is good or if it is bad is not the underlying importance for us to conceive, but rather that God is merciful. He would be so merciful that He would send His only begotten Son— himself in human form— to die in our place for the world by demonstrating the ultimate act of love and mercy by delivering us a Savior in place of our sins and giving us the sacred choice to redeem ourselves through the blood of Christ— salvation (KJV Bible, Jn. 3:16). We do not explicitly “evolve” into sin after birth as many would suggest, but rather we are birthed with sin so much as we would suggest that we are birthed with free will. This sin, suffering, and pain we can choose to let it direct us back to God or, sadly, turn from Him.  

Part C:

To tie Scripture with religious freedom, I would utilize the references in the beginning of Genesis as aforementioned in Part A of this discussion thread.

“Yea, hath God said…?” (KJV Bible, 2003, Gen. 3:1)

            The reason for this passage of scripture one can observe the inception of man’s free will and the development of its consequences thereon after. In addition, there is a poem I would like to share that I think can relate to human agency when given tribute to Edmund Spencer’s formidable and insurmountable possession of spiritual literacy. The great English poet was referenced by another great author, American essayist Hamilton Wright Mabie, in his book Short Studies in Literature. A book that, in a way, changed my life. The stanza is as follows:

"And is there care in Heaven? And is there love? In heavenly spirits to these creatures base, That may compassion of their evils move? There is; else much more wretched were the case Of men than beasts: but oh, the exceeding grace  Of highest God, that loves his creatures so,  And all his works with mercy doth embrace, That blessed angels He sends to and fro,  To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe." (Spencer, as cited in Mabie, 1891).

Thereafter, Mabie goes on to state how “surely earth and heaven are not far asunder in such a verse as this,” (Mabie, 1891).

 Works Cited

Knox, J.S. (2022). Sociology is Rude!: A Conversation on Sociological Theory and Thought. Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Mabie, H.W. (1891). Short Studies in Literature. Dodd, Meade & Company.

Pauley, S. [Dr. Scott Pauley]. (2026, February 20). The Theology of Technology [Video].

YouTube. https://youtu.be/sphzG62OS9A. Accessed 2026, July 22.

Scofield, C.I., & Rikkers, D.W. (Eds.). 2003. The Scofield Study Bible III, KJV. Oxford University Press.