Religious opposition to freedom of speech

Abstract

Religious opposition to freedom of speech is present in many areas of human life, also in areas like the government in Norway where one should think it was not. This thesis gives an explanation to how religious opposition to freedom of speech, can be explained from a psychological perspective. The thesis further argues why this perspective have to be the fundamental premise to understand this phenomenon. The psychological aspects of religion that has been presented and discussed, are costly and hard to fake signals, religious rituals, neural correlates of religious faith, mind perception, attachment, irrationality and the role of analytical thinking. The thesis concludes into the following hypothesis: Religious belief will most likely both consciously and unconsciously promote an intent of opposing freedom of speech. To what degree the intent are converted into behavior and what kind of behavior this intent results in, is a matter of context and opportunity.