Religious beliefs/practices override government laws

Governments should treat everyone equally whatever their faith. As a result, no special treatment should be granted to religions. It is unfair to non-religious people to create exceptions in the law for religious people but not for others who believe that the law is wrong or should be changed. There is no difference between believers and those who hold strong political beliefs about what the law should be or how it should be enforced (e.g. pacifists).

Many religious practices are biased against women. Some readings of Islamic divorce law always grant custody of children to male family members. Women are only allowed to ask for divorce under certain circumstances. There is no reason why the rights of religions should be placed above over the rights of women and children.

Another problem is that some cultural groups have traditional ways that may not be linked directly to their religious faith. Examples of this include female circumcision or special ways to dress. Often these traditions are very important to ethnic groups, but where they clash with the laws of the state it can be very hard to draw clear lines between what is and what isn’t a valid religious ritual.

If a government allows religious beliefs and practices to ignore national law, they must be consistent. This means that all religious practices would have to be permitted. The government would also have to respect all the sub-groups of different religions, not just the ones that are mainstream or that the government approves of. This would lead to confusion and make national laws difficult to enforce. Having national laws that apply equally to everyone, without exception, is the only way to ensure that the government protects all religious believers.

Granting religious groups exemptions from the law will only encourage them to become more isolated. The more a religious group is allowed to follow their own ways, the more likely it is that they will turn away from the rest of society and refuse to mix with other groups. This will lead to a divided society where members of one religion will not work alongside members of other religions or non-believers.

Governments cannot make every religious practice legal because some of them are harmful to individuals. They may also go against basic values such as equality and human rights. Under this policy, governments will have to select which practices they allow to override general laws. This means that many religious practices will still be thought of as ‘wrong’ and will not lead to tolerance and understanding.