Religious Freedom In North Korea

Superior Essays
Religious Rights
Brittanie Haight
Campus High School

In the United States religious freedoms are a constitutional right, but in North Korea there are no religious freedoms. In the United States it is believed that every citizen should have equal rights and to take it away would be against human rights. However, in North Korea people do not have the right to express their personal faith if it is different than the Juche religion, which is required by their government. They are not allowed to teach about God or carry a Bible. North Korea is one of the very few countries without religious freedoms. They are forced to believe the Juche religion or be faced with death or be sent to prison camps. Religious freedoms have been
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This means the citizens have to know the rules and guidelines to be followed to be in good standings with the ruler. Juche is the fifth largest religion in the nation, and continually growing. The religion of Juche was founded and interpreted from a combination of different religions all made into one. Juche religion is not only the largest in North Korea but in many other areas of the world as well. Christianity, Buddhism, and other religions are very popular but Juche has grown to be equally popular throughout the world. Juche has become such a popular religion throughout the years it is now practiced by more than 20 million people across the nation. “Juche is the largest religion and the 24 million adherents of this religion make Juche the world’s fifth largest religion after Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism”(The Role Of religion). Juche religion has been developed from different religions, yet it is similar to many other religions and has its very own characteristics. “There religious outlook is not conditioned by a single, exclusive faith but by a combination of ingenious beliefs and creeds such as Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism” (The Role of religion). The religion of Juche has guidelines to follow, and requires a leader they must respect and put their faith in. The citizens must hang pictures of Kim II Sungs pictures to prove that he is god. “We must hang [Kim II …show more content…
Throughout North Korea the religious rights, Human right, and the wish for freedoms will always cause tension with the people and their ruler. Human rights that people in other parts of the world have, people in North Korea do not. All the tension in North Korea really makes people question what their country will be like 10 years from now. If the government is not allowing religious freedoms in the country now, who knows what it will be like later in life? Everyone should have the right to their own freedom of religion. People should not be getting discriminated daily because they have a different belief than what North Koreas ruler wants the people to have. To conclude, North Korea has no opportunity for freedom of religion. There are many guidelines to follow, and if they are not followed then it will lead to major consequences. Juche, the North Korean religion mandated is what must be followed by the people. Although Juche is the main religion, people still choose not to follow Kim II Sung guidelines and spend the rest of their lives fighting for what they believe while being imprisoned or put to death and given no

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