Fijian Leader Ro Teimumu Kepa used Easter as an opportunity to call for Fiji to safeguard religious freedom in Fiji. “Fiji must be committed to safeguarding and upholding this fundamental human right, by defending the right of every citizen to practise Christianity or any other religion at home and abroad.” Kepa said Easter was a Read more
The chancellor of Samoa’s Catholic Archdiocese said he supports proposed amendment to the constitution which will declare Samoa a Christian nation. He said while people of other faiths should not be worried by the amendment. But it will stop those who create conflict in the name of religion from coming to Samoa. “It doesn’t mean Read more
A Samoan governance expert says there is a danger a bill to make Samoa a Christian state could undermine freedom of religion in the country. The bill, which had its second reading last week, was widely supported by Parliament. The 2016 Explanatory Memorandum attached to Constitutional Amendment Bill (No. 2) says the government wants to Read more
Religious freedom and religious liberty are not code words for discrimination, Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore says. Lori was responding to assertions made by Martin Castro, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. “Statements painting those who support religious freedom with the broad brush of bigotry are reckless and reveal a profound disregard Read more
Religious freedom is an oxymoron for three quarters of the world, according to US ambassador David Saperstein. The U.S. State Department warned that religion-based terrorists as well as some governments across the globe are threatening the liberties of religious minorities. “One of the best ways to deny these murderers their victory is by ensuring that Read more
Samoa’s ruling party is considering constitutional amendments so Christian principles, values, culture and traditions are legally recognised. This after the office of the prime minster has been advised that Islamic extremists could cause future instability. Muslims accounted for 0.03 percent of the population at the 2001 census. At present there is a small muslim population in Read more
Bible in Schools campaigner Jeff McClintock has gone to the Court of Appeal about the decision to strike out of his case. He took the board of Red Beach School on the Hibiscus Coast to court because he alleged the school’s Bible in Schools classes showed disrespect for his daughter’s rights to freedom of religion. The Read more
The Vatican on Wednesday said there is “a lack of political will on the part of the different institutions of the international community” to address attacks on the right of religious freedom. The comments were made during a United Nations Human Rights Council discussion on the Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion Read more
About 250 Methodist Church ministers and lay people voted at its national conference in Blenheim on Tuesday to ask the Ministry of Education to have all major religions taught in schools Methodist Church director of mission Trevor Hoggard said the church wanted details about objective religious teaching in schools. “With all the troubles we’re seeing Read more
The future of religious freedom in Australia is in the hands of religious faiths, not its secularist opponents. Last week, the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, delivered the Centre for Independent Studies’ Acton Lecture titled “Should bakers be required to bake gay wedding cakes?” Fisher raised a range of challenges facing religious liberty in Read more