In this essay I will discuss the need for a secular legal and political realm if individuals will experience their freedom of religion and conscience. To this aim, I will first discuss the concept of liberty/freedom and provide Isaiah Berlin’s distinction between the negative and positive forms of it. Secondly, I will present freedom of conscience and religion as a kind of negative liberty. It will be argued that this freedom can be enjoyed in the best possible way only in a secular legal/political framework. Thirdly, I will discuss whether it is possible to have freedom of conscience in a theocratic system. Finally, I will present a liberal secular utopia where all different conscientious beliefs coexist with one another on the basis of mutual toleration.
Do We Need Secularism To Experience Freedom Of Conscience? Yes, We Do: A Liberal Approach
Liberal political/legal system does not impose any particular way of life and remains at an equal distance to all groups.
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