Because if you DIDN'T have that freedom, some TSA TYPE JACKBOOTED THUG could come to your house with a whip and a gun and force you to recite the Koran, the Talmud, the Bible etc. Freedom of religion includes the freedom NOT to be religious.

Freedom of religion and freedom for thought are twin brothers. If one of them isn't available in any country-as to be in Syria or Turkey- YOUTUBE BAN like restrictions can not be evitable! Bless, Prof. Mes-Solzhenitsyn08

It was what our country was founded on. People who couldn't practice their own faith ran to the US so they could be free to do so. It's one of the important factors of our history. Personally, I think it's important because you can not force people to have faith in the same thing you do. Faith is not based on fact or anything substantial. Saying someone else is wrong when they have the same evidence as you makes someone nothing more then a hypocrite. And no one likes a hypocrite.

It gives us all the choice to either practice religion or to not practice religion.

Do you want someone dictating what your personal belief is? No probably not.

It is as important as freedom of dessert. I also think freedom from religion is important

Only those who have never lived in a Theocracy ask why freedom of religion is important.

Ironically, a book of scripture lays that out pretty succinctly:    “Now there was no law against a man’s belief; for it was strictly contrary to the     commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to     unequal grounds. For thus saith the scripture: Choose ye this day, whom ye will     serve.    “Now if a man desired to serve God, it was his privilege; or rather, if he believed in     God it was his privilege to serve him; but if he did not believe in him there was no     law to punish him. But if he murdered he was punished unto death; and if he robbed     he was also punished; and if he stole he was also punished; and if he committed     adultery he was also punished; yea, for all this wickedness they were punished.     For there was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes.    “Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was     punished only for the crimes which he had done; therefore all men were on     equal grounds” (Alma 30:7-11, http://scriptures.lds.org/alma/30/7-11). The bottom line is that man is *supposed* to be able to believe as he wishes, without fear of some moron that thinks otherwise trying to compel him. Even God Himself wants us to *choose* to follow Him, not be *compelled* to follow Him. (What good would that do?) It’s just unfortunate that so many nations—including, especially historically, many Christian nations—have neglected that simple rule.