The Right to Religious Self-Determination

Sor Juana fought institutional pressures to conform—from the Church hierarchy, her order, and colonial authorities—insisting on her capacity to think independently about matters of faith and knowledge. She modeled resistance to the assumption that women, Indigenous peoples, and the marginalized must passively accept religious doctrine imposed from above. For contemporary believers, doubters, and those leaving religion, this concept validates personal agency: your religious journey belongs to you alone. Self-determination means the right to question, experiment, adapt, or reject inherited faith frameworks without shame or coercion. It acknowledges that authentic religious identity emerges through conscious choice rather than compliance.