ROBERT GEORGE: WHAT IS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM?

What is religious freedom?
One of America's leading experts in legal theory defends the rights of conscience

When the US Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998, it recognized that religious liberty and the freedom of conscience are in the front rank of the essential human rights whose protection, in every country, merits the solicitude of the United States in its foreign policy. Therefore, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, of which I became chair recently, was created by the act to monitor the state of these precious rights around the world.

But why is religious freedom so essential? Why does it merit such heightened concern by citizens and policymakers alike? In order to answer those questions, we should begin with a still more basic question. What is religion?

In this excellent article George covers topics including:

• Religion as Right Relation to the Divine
• Just Limits on the Freedom of Religion
• What Is Conscience?
• Freedom, Justice, and Duty

If you're a person of faith and are concerned about the increasing threats to religious freedom, both domestically and around the world, I encourage you to hit all the links above and read carefully. It's of vital concern and in Robert George we have someone who can be trusted to take it all very seriously.