With regard to the Right to Freedom of Religion, answer the following questions: (a) What does Freedom of Conscience mean?
Answers
This concept has been delineated in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.” This Article then cites examples of these freedoms. Among them are the freedom to change one’s religion and the freedom to manifest one’s religion. The way in which one should be able to manifest his or her religion is also explained: “[E]ither alone or in community with others and in public or private” and “in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
This concept basically explains that everyone has freedom of thoughts, belief and religion. It should not be hampered. Means a person is free to have any viewpoint, thought, belief and religion irrespective of the people or thoughts around him. But one thing which is notable here is that it is the freedom of “conscience”, not the freedom of “expression”.