 Other American states required each town or individual to support "some" religious body, without the state deciding which one; but this was also abolished, the last instance being Massachusetts, which restricted the obligation in 1821 and ended it in 1843.The confessional state is largely gone in the Western World, although in the Middle East, the confessional state, particularly in the form of the Islamic republic is still quite common.A number of modern countries have state religions; they usually also allow freedom of religion.