The history of religious freedom in Hawaii has been a long and winding road. From Kamehameha I's attempt to impose a unique Hawaiian religion on all Hawaiian Islands other than Christianity to today's American Indian Religious Freedom Act protecting Hawaiian religious practices, it is clear that progress has been made in protecting religious freedom in the islands. It was only during the reign of Kamehameha I that a ruler of the island of Hawaii attempted to establish a single religion for the entire archipelago. On June 17, 1839, Kamehameha III issued the Edict of Toleration, which granted Roman Catholics freedom of worship in the Hawaiian Islands.
This article was renumbered as Article 2 and was slightly modified twice in the constitutions of 1852 and 1864, but the problem persisted and these two subsequent constitutions never granted full religious freedom. Prior to 1824, the ancient Hawaiian religion was enforced by strict law. However, today, Hawaiian religious practices are safeguarded by the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. This law “codifies the constitutional protection of the free exercise of religion, stipulating that no minister, priest, official of a denomination or religious society or religious society that has no clergy but who offers solemnizations or is authorized to celebrate marriages is obliged to solemnize any marriage and will not be subject to any fine, penalty, or civil action for failure to or refuse to solemnize any marriage.”Despite this progress, there are still many challenges ahead as some marginalized groups continue to be denied their rights due to their religious beliefs. Johnson questions if focusing on religious freedom politics actually deprives these groups whose religious practices have long been considered suspicious by the majority of the population of their rights.
The idea that all religions are attacked equally and religious freedom is not restricted strangely persists among people who are actively involved in limiting religious freedom. Eliminating religious practice is not equivalent to eliminating discrimination, and by stating that religious faith has no place anywhere where commerce takes place, the state (not the churches) is the one who turns Mammon into a god. The evolution of religious freedom in Hawaii has been a long journey with many challenges still ahead. It is clear that progress has been made in protecting religious freedom in Hawaii, but there is still much work to be done to ensure that all people are able to practice their faith without fear of discrimination.
