Editorial: Respecting everyone’s freedom to practice religion

You might have heard of the term “religious freedom.” Religious freedom is a right that people around the world unfortunately still have to fight for. The United States has a history of allowing everyone to have the right to practice religion without the fear of persecution.
Ever since 1993, the President of the U.S. has declared January 16 as National Religious Freedom Day. This reminds us that no matter what religion someone belongs to, they should feel safe to believe and practice it.
In addition to not only respecting each other’s religions or personal beliefs, National Religious Freedom Day grants us a reason to learn more about different faiths and their backgrounds. For example, learning about a religion and the history that the people practicing it had to face could exemplify one of many reasons why some had to flee to the United States, to acquire freedom. Knowledge of religious diversity helps us to be aware of the importance of religions and the effects they have.
Even if you may not consider freedom of religion a concern in your daily life, we should all be grateful for having the choice. Many other countries have made it clear that there are certain restrictions and limitations on religions.
If you want to start learning some of the many religions, take a look at the story about the meaning of religious symbols or the one about how religion has impacted the way our government works. Religious freedom starts with knowledge and understanding.