Embracing a religiously diverse future

The National Interest had an article the other day (December 18) regarding current religious freedom challenges in Western Europe.

Authored jointly by Mary Ann Glendon who serves as vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and Azizah al-Hibri who serves as a USCIRF Commissioner, of possible, particular note might be their concluding statement (bracketed comments added by yours truly):

"If the lamp of liberty is to remain lit, Western Europeans [Everyone everywhere] must accept that the age of conformity to an official monoculture—secular or religious—is at an end. In the coming year, their countries [Everyone everywhere] should embrace their [Our common and/or universal] religiously diverse future and accord religious freedom to all."

"Conscience protection" part of new agenda

Roman Catholic U.S. bishops yesterday announced a five-part pastoral strategy aimed at creating a movement dedicated to penance and prayer for "a renewed culture of life, marriage and religious freedom."

According to Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, while "not meant to be another program but rather part of a movement for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty," the movement "engages the New Evangelization."

Archbishop Cordileone chairs the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage.

Further it was stated that, this second campaign (a first was instituted/dedicated during the fourteen days of June 21—July 4, 2012) was "prompted by the rapid social movements and policy changes currently underway."

The so named "Fortnight of Freedom," will "emphasize faith and marriage in a particular way in the face of the potential Supreme Court rulings during this time," according to the bishops' conference, referencing, in particular, the approaching Aug. 1, 2013 deadline for religious organization compliance with federal contraception mandates, as well as "other threats to religious liberty in the realms of immigration, adoption and humanitarian aid."

In addition, emphasis will be placed upon "the need for conscience protection."

Follow@ www.usccb.org and here.

Even in America?

A controversial new study by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that restrictions on religion have risen throughout the world between mid-2009 and mid-2010 - including in the United States.

The U.S., among 16 countries examined (out of 197), including Switzerland, was included in the "hostilities jumped" category during that time period.

Brazil and Japan were ranked best (meaning; having the least) in the "government restrictions" category among the 25 most populous countries examined.

Russia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and India were included in the worst countries in both categories.

The ranking of the United States, according to researcher Brian Grim, was influenced by a spike in religion-related terror attacks in the U.S.

Examples used included the December 2009 Nigerian Islamist attempt to blow up an airliner arriving in Detroit, Michigan; the Times Square attempted bombing in New York by a Pakistani-American Islamist as well as the 2009 killings at Fort Hood by radical Islamist convert Major Nidal Hassan.

Moreover, the alleged killer of the Fort Hood incident was recently forced to shave his beard to appear in a military court.

Also in 2010, Oklahoma banned Islam's Sharia law in a statewide vote. Thankfully, a federal appeals court struck down the amendment in January 2012, saying it violated the First Amendment.

Reported religion-related workplace discrimination complaints filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission rose from 3,386 in the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2009, to 3,790 in the year ending on September 30, 2010. Cases determined by EEOC to have had "reasonable cause" rose from 136 to 314 during that period.

The 2009-2010 time-frame doesn't account for recent events including the August killings at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin or the Amish beard cutting incidents (verdict reached yesterday).

Is there perhaps a pattern in the above, somewhere?

Thank you, Reverend Moon

Official Note from Daniel G. Fefferman (ICRF President):

Let me first express our feelings of deep gratitude for the life work of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, without whom the International Coalition for Religious Freedom would not exist. In addition to his work as the founder and spiritual leader of the Unification Church, Reverend Moon was a tireless campaigner for religious freedom and human rights. He has passed on to the next life now, but we at ICRF are strongly committed to carrying on his legacy.

Without religious freedom, God cannot fulfill His ideal… If you do not have religious freedom, you have no freedom at all.

–Testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, June 26, 1984