Being raised within a faith in the past meant complete adherence to the teachings of that religion, and those who disagreed with any part of it were often branded as heretics. They could be driven out of their home, denied work, and some of them were imprisoned or put to death if the disagreement was a major one. Even minor disagreements in the practice of rituals or the explanation of a particular church tenet could result in the harshest of consequences.
Religious practices today can still be rigid, but many institutions have come to recognize their members will have their own private opinions. They are not necessarily allowing them the freedom to disagree publicly, but the majority of them no longer persecute those who do not adhere strictly to all parts of their religious practices. While there are a few religious institutions that have continued their persecutions, many of them have been condemned by other religions and modern societies.
