ANALYSIS OF THE PRINCIPLE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN BIBLICAL AND CONTEMPORARY LEGAL SYSTEM

Abstract

The right to freedom of religion or belief is among the most ancient and prestigious of the globally recognised human rights. It is enshrined in the 1999 constitution (as amended) and is addressed in important sections of all major international human rights instruments. The ability to choose one's beliefs and to follow one's conscience are both aspects of religious freedom. In this perspective, religious freedom encompasses not just personal devotions but also religiously significant actions carried out by authorities or the government. People are also free to give up on religion, to deny religious views, and to stop engaging in religious rituals and practices. This paper aims to explore the principles of religious freedom from the biblical and modern legal systems view using the doctrinal method. This paper also discovers that although the principles of religious freedom is protected by both the Bible and the modern legal system, it is eschatological under the biblical concept and not an absolute right under the modern legal system. The conclusion of this paper is that, despite many similarities between principles of religious belief in the Bible and the modern legal system, the concepts of religious freedom are derived directly from the Bible.