Part IV | Select Quotes from Church Leaders
Category D | Human Rights
Topic 22 | Religious freedom as grandparent of human rights
Religious freedom is sometimes referred to as the grandparent of human rights, reflecting both its early significance as the oldest internationally recognized human right and its relation to other basic human rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, and freedom of assembly. Going back to rights documents as early as the Magna Carta (1215), some form of religious freedom has been recognized as a right. Recognizing religious freedom as a progenitor of the human rights family and preserving family ties to that grandparent right are necessary for all rights in the human rights family to flourish.
◆ ◆ ◆
Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Religious freedom widely is recognized as the “grandparent” of all human rights.
“Religious liberty is the oldest and most deeply rooted freedom in international human rights law and is essential to the entire structure of human rights. It is widely recognized that religious freedom is the “grandparent” of all human rights—recognized first in international treaties dating back to the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, which established that the religion of a realm would be determined by the ruler of the realm and not by outside forces. This principle gradually led to the protection of religious minorities, and ultimately to the protection of religious freedom as a fundamental individual human right.
This essential right finds its mature expression in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; . . . and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.’
As noted, many other rights are closely associated with religious freedom. For example, freedom of the press is rooted in struggles over the right to print the Bible; freedom of association is rooted in struggles over the right of religious groups to gather; freedom of speech is rooted in debates about religious orthodoxy; and freedom of conscience is rooted in disputes over the right of religious minorities such as the Quakers to be exempt from military service; freedom of religious exercise is related to debates about preventing slaves from learning to read the Bible. The human rights culture that sustains these and other freedoms will wither and fade if that culture is cut off from the religious-freedom roots that nourish it. Religious liberty is essential to the entire web of international human rights protections that serve as a bulwark against authoritarianism and human rights violations.”
- D. Todd Christofferson, Religious Liberty: The Basis of a Free and Just Society, First Forum on Religious Freedom in the Southern Cone (Oct. 29, 2021), https://www.religiousfreedomlibrary.org/documents/religious-liberty-the-basis-of-a-free-and-just-society.
◆ ◆ ◆
Elder D. Todd Christofferson: Religious freedom protects other fundamental rights.
“[R]eligious freedom protects other fundamental rights. The freedom to express beliefs about God, which took centuries of struggle to establish, also supports the right to express opinions about morality, society, politics, literature, art, science or virtually any other subject. The hard- won religious rights to peacefully assemble for worship or to print religious literature also support the rights to assemble for political, social, cultural and familial reasons or to print books or newspapers addressing a host of subjects.
Requiring government to treat people equally despite their different religions has strengthened the imperative of treating people equally despite differences in race, color, national origin, sex and so forth. There are many other examples.”
- D. Todd Christofferson, Religious Freedom: Protecting the Good Religion Does, G20 Interfaith Forum (Sept. 27, 2018), https://www.religiousfreedomlibrary.org/documents/religious-freedom-protecting-the-good-religion-does.
◆ ◆ ◆
Elder Ronald A. Rasband: What is religious freedom?
“What is religious freedom?
It is freedom of worship in all its configurations: freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, freedom to act on personal beliefs, and freedom for others to do the same. Religious freedom allows each of us to decide for ourselves what we believe, how we live and act according to our faith, and what God expects of us.”
- Ronald A. Rasband, To Heal the World, General Conference, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Oct. 2, 2022), https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2022/04/45rasband?lang=eng.
◆ ◆ ◆
Elder Gerrit W. Gong: Nations and societies that uphold religious freedom are more likely to enjoy a wealth of other liberties.
“Rights, such as Freedom of Religion or Belief and Freedom of Expression, are appropriately viewed as a package. Indeed: ‘the same principle which would trample upon religious freedom rights, would trample on rights of freedom of expression, and a host of other rights that collectively makeup the core human dignity of the individual.’
Contrary to sometimes popular belief, experience shows nations and societies that uphold religious freedom rights are more likely, rather than less likely, to enjoy a wealth of other liberties.”
- Gerrit W. Gong, Freedom of Expression: An Inseparable Right from Religious Freedom, Second Inter-American Forum for Interreligious Dialogue and Collaboration on Religious Freedom (Apr. 28, 2022), https://www.religiousfreedomlibrary.org/documents/freedom-of-expression-an-inseparable-right-from-religious-freedom (internal citation omitted).
◆ ◆ ◆
Elder Quentin L. Cook: Freedom of religion and speech are both the heart and foundation of representative democracy.
“Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are both the heart and the foundation of representative democracy. Freedom to believe in private and to exercise belief and speech in the public square are essential to protecting inalienable rights.”
- Quentin L. Cook, The Importance of Religious Freedom, Religious Freedom, the Secular State, and Conscientious Objection Conference, Guatemala City, Guatemala (Mar. 7, 2018), https://www.religiousfreedomlibrary.org/documents/the-importance-of-religious-freedom.