The curbing of the freedom of countless people during World War II spurred the creation of an international collaborative body which would work to prevent another similar conflict from occurring. Thus was born the United Nations (UN), which at the end of 1948 made public the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document that became a reference for a common ideal to be reached by all countries.
Article 18 deals with a topic which, at the time, was largely ignored by a number of nations and groups. The clause says: “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; this right includes the freedom to change religion or belief and the freedom to manifest that religion or belief, through teaching, practice, worship, and observance, alone or collectively, in public or in private.”
The Adventist Church has acted and defended this right since 1893, when the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) was created, the oldest entity in the world in defense of religious freedom for all. However, today there are still communities and individuals who fight daily for these rights. And it is to give them a voice that Seventh-day Adventists maintain an exclusive department to address the issue, not just for their own interests, but for the rights of all people.
“Without religious freedom, a set of freedoms ceases to exist, including freedom of expression and the privilege of sharing your faith,” explains Pastor Helio Carnassale, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty at the South American Adventist Church. “Therefore, we defend, protect, and promote religious freedom for all, because this is the only way to ensure that the gospel is preached to the whole world.”
It was with a focus on strengthening this principle that the International Seminar on Religious Freedom was broadcast on Saturday afternoon, August 29. The meeting, held online on official Adventist Church platforms on Facebook and YouTube, touched on issues such as the spiritual foundations of freedom and relationships with other Christians.
Call to defense
“Our goal is to call people to think, to reflect on the need and role of religious freedom in the moment in which we live,” underlined Pastor Erton Köhler, president of the denomination for eight countries in South America, during the seminar. “The Adventist Church was born defending this theme at a time when it was not much debated. As long as there is full freedom, we can reach more and more people with the message of hope. ”
Köhler also endorsed Adventists defending the importance of this right with solid arguments and clear words, using their influence so that more and more people are free to express their feelings, and give more people the opportunity to know Jesus.
“Without religious freedom there is no fulfillment of the mission,” he added. “And without fulfilling the mission, Matthew 24:14 and 28: 18-20 will not be fulfilled.”
In one of the seminars during which he presented, Ganoune Diop, director of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty at Adventist world headquarters, stressed that the roots of religious freedom are in God and his purpose for the world. Thus, when human beings commit themselves to promoting religious freedom in favor of other people, they participate in what God does: restoring his image in humankind.
On the other hand, Diop stressed that to deny any person or institution their freedom is to deny their own humanity. And he detailed how the Adventist Church maintains a relationship with other denominations: always in accordance with General Conference regulations.
“We are called to have relationships with other churches, but that does not mean ecumenism. If we don't mix, we will disassociate ourselves from Jesus' call to be salt and light,” he clarified during his presentation. “We choose carefully when to do it and when not.”
Strategic relationships
For Bettina Krause, director of Government Affairs for the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty department at Adventist world headquarters and one of the seminar speakers, public affairs is at the heart of the Adventist mission. According to her, this area should show government officials of all countries that the Adventist Church has credibility, relevance, and trust.
Nelu Burcea, associate director for Public Affairs and Religious Liberty at the General Conference of the Adventist Church, noted that religious freedom is intertwined with other human rights, such as the right to life, among others. That is why Adventists must take advantage of the present moment to develop new initiatives to fulfill their mission. It is the duty of each member, he said, to know how and why to defend this flag.
Both he and Carnassale were unanimous in emphasizing the relevance of meetings, such as forums and festivals, that raise people's awareness and draw the attention of different groups of people who would not otherwise be interested in the subject.
"Such meetings play a pedagogical role in educating them in the correct concepts of what religious freedom means," Carnassale said during the seminar. "It is inclusive of everyone and we must do everything in our power to preserve that right."
This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site