...Indiana Religious Freedom Law In March 2015, Indiana governor Mike Pence signed a Religious Freedom bill into law that will take effect in July 2015. The backlash from the left was vocal with a correspondingly loud response from the religious right. A friend forwarded me an article from The American Conservative, written by Patrick J. Buchanan. In his article, Mr. Buchanan’s argument is that the turmoil surrounding the bill is about “the replacement of Christian values with secular values as the operating premises of society” Buchanan (2015). Buchanan’s premise is that there is a cultural battle occurring and that religious rights can and should be protected above all else. The Argument Indiana, along with 19 other states, enacted a law to protect the right of people to live their lives and conduct their business in accordance with their personal religious beliefs. Indiana’s law prohibits any state laws that place a substantial burden on a person’s ability to exercise their religious beliefs. The laws definition of a person includes institutions, associations, and businesses (O'Malley, 2015). Buchanan believes that Indiana’s law does not discriminate against anyone. It merely provides a shield for those who believe, on a religious basis, that homosexuality is wrong and do not wish to associate with homosexuals or participate in their celebrations (Buchanan, 2015). In his argument, Buchanan ignores the fact that there are other religions and the unintended consequences that...
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...Why there’s a need to pass into law the Freedom of Information Bill? For me, the Freedom of Information Bill should be pass into law, because this bill is the most significant and very important law to our country, because it promotes good governance, accountability and to have transparency so we can prevent corruption and also every citizen has a legal right of access to information, records and documents held by the government and other public functions and authorities. But what are the purposes and the true essence of transparency and accountability in good governance of Freedom of Information Bill? They are just like a twin pillars of the good governance, we will put the transparency and accountability as a strategies to fight against corruption, to achieve and to surpass public financial management. These are the steps to generate confidence in government and regaining the people’s trust in it. These essentials will also encourage domestic and foreign investment to our economy. If the Freedom of Information Bill is enacted, there would be a transparency and accountability on government transactions and expenditures of public funds in short the government will be an open book. Everything will be expose, even the corrupt being done by some politicians will be exposed too. Just like the taxes we paid that we worked hard but we don’t know where it goes, where they spent these collected money? Maybe, they are the benefits and spend...
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...provide in order to secure freedom for its citizens? This has been the central question of political philosophy from the very beginning. As much freedom as possible and as much unity as necessary leads to a society which serves the human good.” Stephan Eisel, the fellow worker of Konrad Adenauer Foundation The relationship between individual and society directly influences the relationship between individual freedom and society order. Upon the problems of individual versus community and personal freedom versus social order, the pioneer philosophers mainly think and answer it in tow basic ways. One part of philosophers and thinkers emphasize wholeness, inevitability and divinity and advocate that the whole is more important than the part; the society is more important than the individual. Another part of philosophers view the issue at opposite angle. Why do individual and society, individual freedom and social order stay in opposition to each other? On the one hand, the reason is that any person has irrational component inside him; the rational component registers as being controlled and is inclined to be in order; the irrational component registers as being impulsive and is inclined to the diversity. One the other, the individual freedom requires the equality, but the maintenance of the social order would sacrifice some individuals’ freedom without a doubt. It seems to me that the equality among the persons refers to being equally protected by law; it is the equality upon...
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...Verain Vasudeva PHIL17545G March 30, 2014 Professor Mark Reitsma Should Laws Reflect Indirect Harm? Laws reflect the moral code of the majority within a society. Therefore, the majority within a society depict if a law should be reflective of an indirect harm. Indirect harm is “an action which itself did not harm, but may promote or eventually lead to harm”(Reitsma, Liberty and its Limits: Extent of Freedom), it may have no correlation to leading towards harm. John E. Mills indicated “the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others” (Heydt), but lawmakers perceive it justifiable to create laws that are reflective of indirect harm. Laws against Prostitution and drug’s are reflective of indirect harm. If ones using drugs or is a prostitute is not directly harming others in society. Even though laws that reflect indirect harm are to prevent harm from happing, indirect harm should not be considered whilst making laws because they tend to restrict one's freedoms & liberties and there is no substantial evidence that indirect harm leads to harm. Laws tend to create restrictions upon individuals of the society. People are overwhelmed by the pressures of these restrictions and cannot express their freedoms & liberates. Firstly, if one is a distinguish as a criminal under indirect harm laws they will be condemned by society when they have not harmed any individual in...
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...LAW and FREEDOM The purpose of Law and Freedom is to promote freedom under law, as we enter more lawless times. Law becomes tyrannical without freedom, and freedom becomes predatory without law. A free society under law will always be more prosperous and peaceful. There are three threats to the survival of state authority in Britain and Europe. First, economic breakdown. If the state goes bankrupt, the machinery of law disappears. This is the immediate problem. Second, welfare dependence and collapse. This is the underlying problem. Third, ethnic division, particularly between Islamic and non-Islamic society, and the violence at the heart of Islamic doctrine. This is the most visible problem, and the one that people will blame. Together, these three problems risk creating the conditions for lawless violence. Political and intellectual elites are undermining our laws and freedoms. So we need to take what action we can to preserve them ourselves. The Law and Freedom Foundation is not associated with the English Defense League ------------------------------------------------- Law Law is a term which does not have a universally accepted definition,[2] but one definition is that law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour.[3] Laws can be made by legislatures through legislation (resulting instatutes), the executive through decrees and regulations, or judges through binding precedents (normally...
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...independence and most importantly freedom. We have come a long ways and earned many things, but it doesn't change the fact we could still lose as them as well. In order to keep what was set up long ago, Americans need to understand how they can keep them intact. Our most effective tools for establishing and preserving freedom is having our written documents and personal drive and as well as restrictions....
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...Isaac Newton. The basic framework of the theory states that due to natural laws of the universe that everything obeys, there can be no such thing as freedom. Sir Isaac Newton is incorrect in his theory, physical determinism does not indicate whether or not freedom is possible in our reality. Like many other scientists, Sir Isaac Newton believed in the concept of universal causation. Universal causation means simply that there is a cause for everything that occurs in the universe, and that one event leads to another event. In Ethics: Theory and Practice by Jacques P. Thiroux and Keith W. Krasemann, they point out that most scientists believe in this for one main reason. In their search for reasoning and acuity for predictions freedom is physically not possible. Thiroux and Krasemann tell us Sir Isaac Newton was a firm believer that, “…our entire realm of nature and the universe is governed by natural laws…” (4). Many of the laws that he speaks of are the ones that he discovered himself, such as his famous three laws and the law of gravity. Sir Newton reasoned that, because humans are also physical beings, they controlled by these laws. There are some issues that arise from this theory however. Thiroux and Krasemann go on to point out that if all of these laws are completely true then there is no true freedom for anyone.(4) If there is truly no freedom then we are all bound just by the laws that Sir Newton talks about. Humans are no more or less than any other being...
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...The film viewed is based on the freedom riders. The freedom riders were people who used interstate transportation to oppose the segregation laws in the south. This film showed two different organizational issues. The issues in the film are important, and as a result some of these issues affected the outcome of history. The social pressures of this film impacted the strength of the organized freedom riders and what they desired to accomplish. The outcome of what could happen to people if they participated in this movement affected the organization and their personal decision who got involved. The legal and ethical responsibility of police are both enforced and disregarded in this film. The two organizational issue facing this period were the freedom riders who opposed racism, and the police enforcing the Jim Crow laws and upholding racism. The two organizations had very different views during this movement. The freedom riders cause was clearly stated, and people defending desegregation and equality took action. Segregation during this period, in the south, was highly enforced. The freedom riders used song to communicate and strengthen their spirits. They received mistreatment from authorities because they would not allow their spirits to be broken. The police at this time felt the riders came down to cause trouble. Their organization issue was to stop the desegregation of blacks. They felt anyone who disregarded the Jim Crow laws was breaking the law; therefore, the police had a...
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...RELIGION CULMINATING – Humans Rights/Freedoms and Natural Law By: Peter Huynh - The two pillars discussed will be human rights/freedoms and natural law Thesis Argument In order for natural law to work, you need human rights/freedoms. Vice Versa. DISCUSSION TOPIC #1 – HUMAN RIGHTS/FREEDOMS - Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. Example: 1. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. 2. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Human Rights can also be split up into two types: Normal Rights: can be altered by the law. Legal Rights: cannot be altered by the law in any situation. - Human freedoms are similar to rights except that they are not enforced by the government or UN. It is a concept that is always there no matter what. Example: Freedom of Speech DISCUSSION TOPIC # 2 – NATURAL LAW Natural Law is something that was greatly enforced by Saint Thomas Aquinas. The standard definition for this law is that it is the moral rules found by humankind’s natural ability to think and reason to determine what is good or right. Natural Law: Basics: - is not made by human beings - is based on the structure...
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...Emergence of a Freedom of Information Movement: Anonymous, WikiLeaks, the Pirate Party, and Iceland – Jessica L. Beyer Key words: Activism, File Sharing, Politics, Hacktivism, New Media, Online Communities https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMxhIfG0MpY – 0:00-1:16 | 2:10-3:20 How do you guys feel about the government's interference within ideas of “Freedom of Information”? Are copyright acts more about the broader ideas of controlling information, or more-so the ability to protect people's information and original content? Do you think the youth, anonymous, and people like Kim DotCom are to blame for copyright infringement? How can freedom of information exist alongside copyright? He is knowingly hosting this website whilst people pirate. What kind of message is the US government sending to the world with the Kim DotCom raid? An over the top, 72-person raid on a single lot of land, occupied by one person who is simply hosting a website. Are ISP's as equal to blame as Kim DotCom is? They are allowing this file sharing to happen, since they profit off of the traffic. Should Denial-Of-Service attacks be viewed as protest, or criminal activity? Are they akin to a peaceful protest of not allowing entry to a workplace/space, or are they more in line with rioting which does have criminal activity, and criminal punishment attached to it? Is WikiLeaks committing criminal activity? They are releasing private, government documents, and allowing for this free flow of...
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...sections? As evident in the article, section 2b: “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication,” applies to this case. In this issue, a nudist named Brian Coldin, states that his freedom of expression has been infringed upon as he is charged with several counts of public nudity because of his lifestyle. In Canada, certain laws in forbid this act, which directly affects the ability of a nudist to express themselves. In response to this, Coldin’s lawyer, Clayton Ruby, has said that these charges have limited the expression of nudists and suggest that these laws infringe on Charter rights. However, witnesses have also claimed that seeing Coldin nude in public has caused trauma and unease. But, despite these...
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...their own gain, and/or financial development. Can lead to massive growth in middle classes. Political Philosophy is aimed at analysing how a society works and how they are governed by a ruling power. It seeks to evaluate the different ethical and political standpoints in different political parties, and analyse how they affect the citizens of the country/state. Some key ideologies include; Conservatism Tradition and custom is more important than change, unless change is desperately needed. Will tend to view human nature as innately selfish. It is government’s job to create legislation in order to provide a secure and supportive social context in which people can realise their full potential. Concentrates on maximising Positive Freedom. If Thomas Hobbes had lived in the modern era, he would probably have been conservative. Liberalism...
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...Freedom to Kant did not consist in not being bound by law, but more so by laws that one creates for him or herself. This is known as autonomy, which can be defined as how people self-govern themselves. In the end, being free really consists of a person doing whatever it is that the person wants to do based on his or her own choices for oneself. While being autonomous is the positive way to be free, the negative way to be free consists of following rules of a source outside of oneself. It cannot be considered “freedom” if someone else is making the rules for you. A state with a government gives its people this sense of “freedom” by binding its citizens with laws that are created and ratified by representatives that are elected so that the people feel like the rules made are in some sort of way made by them. In this case, the people oblige to all the laws because they think they are right when the officials voted into office come up with them, even if the people do not know all the details, benefits, or even the negative effects of the laws. In a real sense of freedom, not only would the elected politicians have a say, but the people would have a major say as well. People should be able to express themselves, especially in the case of creating laws in which they are to abide by. Most people may start out in the negative sense of freedom then soon convert into the positive sense when they realize that they are humans with the ability to make their own decisions. In the rational...
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...absolute freedom of life, liberty and property but one’s absolute freedom invades other’s absolute freedom, so in order to protect the law of nature people enter the social contract to willingliy give up some of their natural power. John Locke believes people are born with natural law which is in a state of absolute freedom. And he says’ “we must consider what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, an state of perfect freedom….”. Absolute freedom allows individuals to perform their actions and dispose their controls without depending or asking any other individual. These perfect freedom includes the freedom of life, liberty and property. John locke’s belief, “all human beings,...
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...Freedom of Religion or Belief - how the FCO can help promote respect for this human right “The UK condemns all instances where individuals are persecuted because of their faith or belief, wherever this happens and whatever the religion of the individual or group concerned.”1 SUMMARY Freedom of religion or belief is a human right whose enjoyment is important to achieving the UK’s strategic priorities, particularly as regards conflict prevention and resolution. It is a sensitive issue in many countries. These guidelines, elaborated with the help of specialist stakeholders, aim to provide a simple introduction to the issues for FCO posts and desks, an analytical matrix to identify problems, some general responses to frequently raised issues, and other resources for those who wish to go deeper into the subject. 1 FCO Human Rights Annual Report 2007, p. 106 1 CONTENTS What is freedom of religion or belief? Paras 2-9 Why is freedom of religion or belief important to the UK? Paras 10-11 What is needed to achieve freedom of religion? Para 12 Vulnerable groups and freedom of religion Para 13 Children and freedom of religion Para 14 Freedom of religion and freedom of expression Paras 15-19 Restrictions on freedom of religion Paras 20 – 25 What problems are Posts most likely to encounter? Paras 26 – 32 How can Posts help to promote freedom of religion? Paras 33 – 38 Regional mechanisms Para 39 Some basic...
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