should we be free to express our religion as we wish?

Society has advanced so much that it can now be seen to be politically incorrect if one is restricted from practicing, performing, speaking or expressing their religion in a way in which they feel comfortable, What right does another human being have in telling you how to live your life, dictating what you can and cannot believe in? No one.

The individual, particularly the religious individual, does not exist in isolation in modern society.

The problem with a society that allows religious expression is based in the nature of religion itself. Unlike political opinions and political freedoms, religious ideals deal in the realm of "absolute truths", whereby a mentality of absolute right and absolute wrong are created. Because religion is inherently a social belief, religious groups tend to exist and view themselves as separate entities to others, creating power blocs which transmit into political structures. In combining this belief in an "absolute truth" with political power, distinctions between religious and ethnic groups are heightened, dividing society and leading to conflict and resentment. A world without public religion would encourage association without prejudices and lead to greater social cohesion.cohesion. 
 
Because the state has to take into consideration the collective good as well as individual good, it can justify action against individual beliefs in order to promote the wellbeing of a whole society.