papers, presentations, and pieces (love the alliteration!) reflecting a deep-seated conviction on the vital importance of human rights, and freedom of conscience
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Keeping Church and State Separate: A Lunch with Barry Lynn |
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Religious Freedom/Human Rights
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Not that this was a cosy one-on-one—more like together with seventy others since this was a Rotary Club Luncheon to which I was invited (thanks Jim!). But this gave me a great opportunity to meet up again with Barry Lynn, Executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. As the guest speaker for the July 15 lunch of the Washington DC chapter of Rotary, Lynn made his convictions clear.
Noting his was not always the most popular voice, he confirmed the facts of the introduction and that since he was both a minister and a lawyer, he could “forgive all of you today and then file a class action suit against you tomorrow!” I was glad to hear his categorical endorsement of religious freedom as safeguarded in the First Amendment: “Protecting our religious liberty means we need to know the stories from our past,” Lynn said. “The principle of church and state is the single greatest contribution of our country to the world. The First Amendment means there are no second-class citizen based on religious outlook, no preferential treatment based on religion.”
He also had words for those believers who wanted to break down this vital wall of separation between church and state. “The Bible is not to be the basis of [state] policy, and we are not to seek the resources of the state for the church’s benefit,” he commented. “We shouldn’t turn to government to enact our beliefs into law.” He also noted the politicization of religion in recent times, something that has also been disturbing to me, since so many now play the “faith” card. It’s alarming to think of where this may be leading us, and how religious freedom may in the end be severely compromised.
Lynn concluded with his strongly-expressed hope: “I wish we could have a strong clear separation of church and state,” admitting there was still much to do in this area.
I came away glad for this emphasis at least—for whatever the exact policies of any group (and I don’t endorse everything even here!), we should encourage all those who do want to keep religious freedom issues in the forefront. [Jonathan Gallagher]  
L: Barry Lynn speaks
R: Jonathan Gallagher (l) with Barry Lynn |
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More Cooperation Planned between United Nations and World Religions |
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Religious Freedom/Human Rights
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[I was invited to attend the meeting "Advancing cooperation between the United Nations and World's Religions" held at Labouisse Hall, UNICEF, United Nations, New York on December 16. Wanting to talk to those involved in this dramatic development, and to hear the presentations and debate, I braved the snowy weather to attend! The day-long conference provided some marvelous opportunities to dialog on very significant issues of religion and government with religious leaders, ambassadors, and UN officials. Here's my report.] More Cooperation Planned between United Nations and World Religions
New York, NY, USA… [December 16, 2008] Representatives from the United Nations and religious leaders met together with non-government organizations in New York Tuesday to promote greater cooperation between the UN and religious groups worldwide. The intent in the words of the organizers is “to explore new ways and means to advance cooperation between the world’s religious communities and the United Nations.” |
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Proselytism or Evangelism: Who Decides? |
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Religious Freedom/Human Rights
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The hot topic of conversation on the world religious scene is proselytism, usually defined as religious people using unfair means to try and convert others. Just recently news reports announced that representatives of the Vatican and the World Council of Churches sat down with leaders from Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and indigenous religious traditions to begin a three-year process that is meant to end in an agreed code of conduct for conversions.
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Religious Freedom: An Unaffordable Luxury? |
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Religious Freedom/Human Rights
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With bombs in houses of worship, murders by mobs, and fights between faiths, the world hardly seems to be on its way to a golden age of global harmony and tranquility. Especially when it comes to religious freedom—or the lack of it. As a result, some may conclude that international attempts to build a lasting peace are a total failure.
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Combating Religious Intolerance: What This Really Means |
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Religious Freedom/Human Rights
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“Freedom of religion or belief is not a reality for many individuals throughout the world.” Asma Jahangir, UN Special rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief
Religious intolerance in today’s world
In today’s world, over a billion people live under regimes that do not allow full religious freedom. Religious intolerance is on the rise, and inter-religious conflict is identified as one of the major causes of strife. So combating religious intolerance must be a primary objective for all of us, not just governments and the United Nations.
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Jonathan Gallagher 
