Religion In Monroe

Religion in the Union of Everett is greatly mixed bewteen the population. Christianity is the most frequent religion in the nation, followed by Atheism and Non-Religious Status and then Judaism. 75% of Everettis follow some sort of religion, while 25% have declared themselves Non-Religious. Since the formation of Everett, religious numbers have declined. Experts believe the shift in beliefs, laws, culture among youth and the fact that the President is Atheist herself, have led to the decline in religious belief. In the Union of Everett, religions must register themselves with the government and must pass a registry check to be allowed access to specialized treatment such as tax-exempt status or government aid. Some religions that fail the checks and registry may even be banned from practice, depending on the religion's specific activities. All religions must follow the laws stated in the Religious Security Act, which restricts various beliefs and activities ranging in discrimination, oppression, abuse and radicalism.

Registered Religions
The registration of religions and religious practices under the federal government and its approval or denial does not imply that the practice of said religion, if denied, is illegal. Religions or organizations that have applied under the registry, if approved, have the right as a non-profit religious organization to federal benefits such as tax-exemption or government aid for humanitarian organizations of religious nature. Religious organizations must register a federal Department of Health application to receive federal monetary aid for humanitarian religious organizations who obey federal laws regarding discrimination.

Federal Religious Registry
The FRR is a program designed to register every religion and religious organization in the Union of Everett under the Everetti government under the "Federal Religious Registry". The reason behind it officially states that due to religion's extraordinary power over people, it is necessary to regulate it, to ensure the security and rights of people who may be affected by it. All religions underwent a background check, criminal records check, beliefs check and investigation to confirm its religious status. Approved religions were registered under the FRR and recieved tax-exempt status. Denied religions were declared non-abiding and often lost tax-exempt status and other specialized rights. Religions are not denied on the basis of beliefs but on the basis of activities and actions such as radicalism, extremism, child abuse, sex deviancy/perverison/rape, animal cruelty and the promotion of racism, sexism, discrimination and or terrorism. The Religious Security Act, states what is considered a religion and what is not as well as what specific practices are illegal. Failure of individual religious organizations that refuse to follow and abide by regulations in order to receiving government aid, grants, tax exemption and other statuses, are penalized by having those government sponsored statuses revoked. Common revocation of status results from religious groups' promotion of anti-gay, anti-women, anti-minority or other religious beliefs and agendas. The loss of government tax exemption and other aid results in a major financial impact to these groups and organizations, who often depend on member donations to survive and relief from having to pay taxes and fees.

Religious Security Act
As an act of National Security and to maintain and secure freedom and human and civil rights, it is deemed necessary to monitor and regulate religion, a powerful force among humanity. This law shall state what legally constitutes a religion and what is allowed. Practices found to be dangerous or in violation of our Constitution shall be outlawed as specified in this law.


 * I. Religion
 * A. A religion by this law is defined as the belief in of any higher being or entity or higher plane of existence or supernatural events or beings which is in turn worshipped in any manner.
 * 1. It is the right under the Constitution that any and all persons have the ability to believe in or worship any form of religion or not believe in any at all and to be secure in their right to believe, practice or worship without interference, intrusion or restriction.
 * a. It is additionally secured under our Constitution that no person or persons be interfered, intruded or restricted by a religion and that no religion shall impede on the rights or security of others.
 * 2. Religion shall have no power or standing over the government and its activities or operations. Such power is in violation of the Constitution and of the secular government and laws. Religious beliefs shall not infringe on government decisions and it is required that government officials separate their personal beliefs from such government activities.
 * II. Illegal Practices
 * A. Illegal Practice is defined as any religious practice, belief or action that violates the laws of this nation, violates the Constitution or violates the basic human and civil rights as defined by the Union of Everett or by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights.
 * B. Illegal Activities
 * 1. Discrimination
 * a. It is illegal for a religion to promote or practice discrimination in public services. It is illegal for a religion to promote or practice any form of discrimination in public in general. It is against tax exemption policy to practice or promote unreasonable discrimination in private services.
 * b. Unreasonable Discrimination is the hatred or discrimination against basic protected persons in the following categories as stated in the Everetti Non-Discrimination Act: Sex, Gender Identity, Race, Nationality/Immigration Status, Age, Sexual Orientation or Disability/Medical Condition. Publicly, all forms are illegal including Religion, Veteran Status and Employment.
 * 2. Child Abuse
 * a. It is illegal for a religion to promote or practice any form of child abuse whether emotionally, physically, mentally or sexually.
 * b. Pedophilia or sexual acts against minors, those 17 years of age or younger, is illegal. This includes child to child or child to adult marriages. Sexual assault of children is a high level crime and no religion may perform any sex crime against a minor.
 * c. No religion may force or impose itself on a minor. Under Constitutional law, those aged 17 and younger have the right to freedom of religion and no religion or member of a religion shall force upon a minor any belief refused by such a minor.
 * 3. Animal Cruelty
 * a. It is illegal for a religion to promote or practice any form of animal abuse or cruelty. This includes sacrifices, offerings, slaughterings and rituals in which animals are killed or tortured.
 * 4. Honor Killing
 * a. Honor killing is defined as an form of religious ceremony in which a human being is killed, sacrificed, murdered or tortured in the name of said religion. It is a crime under Everetti law to murder a human being, with a punishment of no less than the death penalty.
 * 5. Terrorism
 * a. Any religion that supports, promotes or commits an act of terrorism is illegal and deemed a threat to national security. Speech or beliefs that promote acts of terrorism, announce support for or induce followers to commit such acts is banned.
 * 6. Oppression/Supression
 * a. Oppression is defined as any religious practice in which a certain or specified group of members or non-members is oppressed or supressed in any way. The denial of certain rights to certain people is in direct violation of this nation's Constitution and shall not be legal.
 * b. The oppression of women is illegal under Everetti law and Constitution. The required or forced wearing of veils or body coverings is illegal. The restriction of women's equality and rights is illegal.
 * c. The oppression of children or minors is illegal. No child shall be denied equal rights nor shall they face abuse or neglect as stated in part B.2.a,b,c.
 * 7. Criminal Activity
 * a. Any religion that promotes the committing of crimes, rioting, terrorism or hate crimes is in violation of the law and shall face restrictions and banishment. The spreading of hate crime propaganda or teaching of criminal activity is illegal.
 * 8. Sex Crimes
 * a. A sex crime is any act against a person sexually that is performed against their will or consent or any sexual act, regardless of consensual status, against a minor.
 * b. The promotion of rape or sexual abuse in any form is illegal and punishable by life imprisonment. The actual act of rape or sexual abuse in any form is punishable by the death penalty.
 * 9. Suicide
 * a. The promotion or commission of suicide either for individuals or in mass numbers is illegal. No person may be forced or manipulated into suicide nor tricked or decieved into suicide. Religious suicide is a crime with punishments of mental institution incarceration. Causing or manipulating a child or minor into suicide shall result in coercion and negligent homicide and recieve a punishment of no less than life imprisonment.

Targeted Religious Organizations
The following organizations and churches have been banned or have been targets of IRS tax-exemption revocation. Banned organizations do not ban the specific religion itself; ie: The ban against the Church of Scientology (an organization which practices Scientology) does not affect the legal practice of the religion of Scientology itself by followers of Scientology who are NOT members of the specific Church of Scientology organization.

Response
In response to the passing of the Religious Security Act, an estimated 1.5 million people began to protest. Of these people, most were Christian while a smaller amount were Muslims. Rioting broke out on several occasions, led by extremist groups including fundamentalist militias. Union of Everett federal agencies responded to threats of terrorism and detained over 10,000 suspects, 7,800 of which were released. By the end of the violence, 12,500 suspects had been detained and charged with crimes with 9,700 suspects facing jail time.

Conservative groups and churches were outraged at the restrictions in the law and claimed their first amendment rights were being destroyed. The President responded stating that the practices banned were already in violation of human and civil rights, also stating, "Discrimination, oppression and violence is not a right." Many other churches and organizations supported the Act, stating that "God loves everyone, regardless of who they are.", supporting the bans on discrimination, promotion of terrorism and violence and oppression of women and children.

Controversy
Religion in the Union of Everett has come under intense global and local controversy since its secession in 2003. Almost immediately, Everett changed many conservative policies to what some perceive as extremely liberal. Some have called it an act of religious oppression and hate being defended by the First Amendment. President Spencer, being an Atheist, has been the target of large amounts of controversy from American conservatives and religious people worldwide. Notable critics of Spencer included United States Republicans and Muslim leaders in radical Islamic nations such as Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Counter arguments to criticism point out varied facts such as that the right to freedom of opinion in the belief that religion is bad, dangerous and having a stance against it, is a civil and human right, being that religion is a form of ideology of belief, similar to government or economic ideologies in which many anti-government groups exist against those as well. Countering arguments that anti-religion organizations are oppressive and hateful of religion, anti-religion groups have pointed out that a large majority of religious organizations in the Union of Everett openly and hostilely condemn various peoples including atheists, non-Christians and homosexuals. Anti-Religious movements notably point fingers at Evangelical churches for "spouting their hatred while claiming to being persecuted when those who the churches condemn, argue and insult back."