Page 278 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

religious freedom 1579

feast and not being thrown to the beasts. And after
the scourging, after the wild beasts, after the roast-
ing seat, she finally was placed in a net and thrown theistic and nontheistic religions as well as rare and vir-
to a bull. She was tossed about for some time by the tually unknown faiths.The covenant is especially impor-
animal, but was insensitive to what was happening tant because its provisions are mandatory for the states
to her because of her hope and hold upon what had that have ratified it.
been entrusted to her and her communion with Finally, the United Nations Declaration on the Elimi-
Christ. And she also was sacrificed, and the heathen nation of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination
themselves confessed that never had a woman Based on Religious Belief, enacted in 1981, is a funda-
among them suffered so many and such horrible mentally important document protecting religious rights.
tortures. The declaration includes the most comprehensive list of
Source: Eusebius. (1955). Ecclesiastical history (V, 1). In The fathers of the Church (R. J. rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Deferrari,Trans.; Vol. 19, pp. 276ff). New York: Christian Heritage.
enumerated in any international instrument.

Looking Ahead
century, by far the most central is the Universal Declara- Human civilization has achieved much over the last three
tion of Human Rights, passed by the United Nations in thousand years in making religious freedom a funda-
1948. This landmark document declares that “Everyone mental human right. Much remains to be done, however,
has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and reli- to make religious freedom a reality for all peoples of the
gion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or world. There is no more important project to be under-
belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with taken by the human community now and in the future.
others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or
Derek H. Davis
belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance”
(Claude & Weston 1992, 421). See also Religion and Government; Religion and War;
The declaration embraces modernity’s political princi- Secularism
ple that one of human government’s main roles is to pro-
tect people’s religious choices, not to mandate religious
Further Reading
conformity. It took centuries, even millennia, of religious
Bainton, R. (1951). The travail of religious liberty. New York: Harper &
wars and government-perpetrated religious persecution Brothers.
for the majority of modern nation-states to come to this Bates, M. S. (1945). Religious liberty:An inquiry. New York: International
Missionary Council.
position, but the principle is now widely accepted, espe- Boyle, K., & Sheen, J. (Eds.). (1997). Freedom of religion and belief. New
cially in the West, and its near universal recognition in the York: Routledge.
Claude, R. P., & Weston, B. H. (1992). Human rights in the world com-
1948 declaration is undoubtedly a human milestone.
munity (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Whereas the declaration imposed a moral obligation Doerries, H. (1960). Constantine and religious liberty (R. H. Bainton,
upon all signatory nations, later documents went further Trans.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Fergeson, M. L. (1966). The church-state problem and the American prin-
in creating a legal obligation to comply with its broad ciple of separation. Waco,TX: Baylor University Press.
principles.The International Covenant on Civil and Polit- Gavin, F. (1938). Seven centuries of the problem of church and state.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
ical Rights (1966), ratified already by approximately
Kamen, H. (1967). The rise of toleration. New York: McGraw Hill.
150 nations, prohibits religious discrimination “without Kramnick, I., & Moore, L. R. (1996). The godless Constitution:The case
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, lan- against religious correctness. New York: Norton.
McNeil, J. (Ed.). (1950). John Calvin on God and political duty. New York:
guage, political or other opinion, national or social ori- Liberal Arts Press.
gin, property, birth or other status” (Claude & Weston Oakley, F. (1979). The Western church in the later Middle Ages. Ithaca, NY:
Cornell University Press.
1992, 432). Moreover, the 1966 covenant provides a
Pfeffer, L. (1967). Church, state, and freedom (2nd ed.). Boston: Beacon
broad definition of religion that encompasses both Press.