Freedom of Religion

I have mixed feelings about freedom of religion. On one hand, people should have the right to their religious beliefs. On the other hand, I don't think that beliefs should necessarily be defined by religion.

I think we screwed up with the first amendment. Freedom of religion is just too narrow. The real protection should be freedom of beliefs. We should have the right to develop and live by our own beliefs as long as they don't interfere with the rights of others.

Let me put it this way. I strongly believe that mental genocide is immoral. This has nothing to do with my religious beliefs. The government should have no right to force me to back our schools. Since my concerns are unrelated to religion, I technically have no government protections for this belief even though this belief of mine is much stronger than an overwhelming majority of protected religious beliefs.

Again, I am not saying that people don't have the right to religious beliefs. I just don't think that the rights we have regarding our beliefs should only exist when dictated to us by religion. We deserve better than that.