Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience) is the freedom of an individual to hold a viewpoint, or thought, regardless of anyone else's view. The suppression of freedom of thought is a prominent characteristic of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, while freedom of thought is one of the fundamental principles of most democracies. Freedom of thought can be limited in several ways — through censorship, arrests, book burning, or, more subtly, through propaganda.
Freedom of thought can also be stifled without institutional interference when the views of the majority become so widely accepted that other ways of thinking are repressed. For this reason, some condemn political correctness as a form of limiting freedom of thought. For instance, the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which states that thought is inherently embedded in language, would support the claim that an effort to limit the use of words of language (french fries to freedom fries) is a form of restricting freedom of thought.
Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
Freedom of religion and of public worship as well as freedom to express one's religious opinions are guaranteed, subject to the repression of offenses committed in the exercise of such freedoms.
Freedom of religion and conscience entails the right to profess and practice a religion, the right to express one's convictions and the right to be a member of or decline to be a member of a religious community.
Freedom of conscience is used to justify any belief or behavior inconsistent with Catholic doctrine and dogma.
Applying an erroneous view of freedom of conscience to religion leads to the modernistic, but false, notion whereby "one religion is as good as another." Vatican II clearly states not that any belief system is good, but rather that a person is duty-bound to seek and hold to God's Truth [Dignitatis Humanae, Canon Law #748].
For example, abortionists and women who choose abortion purportedly claim their right as enabled by freedom of conscience but it is obvious that an innocent unborn baby is killed.
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