Greg Frucci Published Author, Speaker and Adventurer, Greg Frucci serves highly successful corporate leaders and entrepreneurs who desire to expand their power and influence in a positive and loving way. This post is hosted on the Huffington Post's Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and post freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

If I state, "I am a Christian [or any other religion]," I would be in separation by drawing a line between me and all other humans who are not part of those human created systems of control. Further, I would be living in a self imposed form of limitation while in agreement with a group idea of the right way or the highway. Further still, if I separate myself from my fellow humans for any reason, I would be separating myself from God. Why build a wall around myself when I just want to be free?

"But Greg, if you don't pray as I do, or believe in the religious ways I do, you'll rot in hell forever."

Yeah I know, not every Christian believes that way. However, some do and Ive been at the receiving end of that kind of fear mongering both as a child and as an adult. Have you?

People who proclaim those words of fear to other people, exist in fear while creating more fear. Fear is the mind-killer which blocks the Soul from emerging. To argue with fear is pointless, just walk the other way and smile.

Im not bashing religion. There are fearless people who are members of all religions. They become the beacons of light for those who are in fear. Religious organizations can and do serve people who are suffering, yet there will always be temptation for certain people of power within religious organizations, to control those whom they intend to serve.

Read human history. Many religions were created by humans after the appearance on this planet by a single human with a message of Love. Each and every one of those single humans, had their message of Love bastardized by other humans whose only purpose was to control the masses by instilling fear. The fear of being punished if they did not believe what they were told. Why? Money to support their greed driven control over the masses.

I am not a member of any religion primarily because I do not feel that its my way or the highway. Being a member of any human created religion is not required to Know that I Am a child of God. For me, if I know what I Am, I can know that I am already in the Kingdom of the Creator, because God is in all of us. Therefore, no separation is necessary.

As a child of God, I Know my Soul is indestructible. Sure, you can destroy my body, but you cannot destroy who I Am. So, why exist in fear and stay within mind created walls?

We are all part of God [or whatever you choose to call It, I do not care because human given names are meaningless]. If you drop out of your head for a wee bit, perhaps you'll feel It.

Can you feel the love of your life partner? Is this an energy? You can extend that feeling if you choose, to every human on our planet. Every human can, even the ones you do not like. Yet, some religious dogma will tell you that you must not try or you will perish. Why? Perhaps it is because if you knew who and what you truly are, you may not need the religion anymore. Control.

Separation exists because some humans make the choice to exist that way while being in fear of thinking otherwise. Which is cool. I used to be that way, yet I grew out of it. I choose not to build walls between myself and others who make different choices. Who am I to judge others? Has any human been granted the job of judging how any other chooses to believe? Nope. We all have free human will, so choose whatever you wish.

But think about this: If we make the choice of separation, we will continue to suffer in anger, hatred, sadness and isolation. The result will be war with other humans and war takes form in many ways even if it is just a thought.

So, I separate myself from that separation, which frees me from fear because I un-tether myself from the control of others. I stand fearlessly in my Freedom with Love as the Light for my path of life. And God is with me always regardless of any book I read.

So, if religion was too soft of a topic, lets talk about race...

If I state, "I am a white guy," I would be in separation by drawing a line between me and all females. Further, I would be drawing a line between me and my fellow humans who do not have the same thin skin color as me.

"But Greg, that is who you are."

To some perhaps, as they see me in a picture or walking down the street. If that is as far as they can go, then they are stuck in their ego...the small, finite self. That is simply the surface of my human body. That is not who I am.

Again, who I Am, is a child of God, just like you and everyone else on this planet despite what any religion, government or any human created system of control wants you and I to believe.

So, I separate myself from that separation, which becomes a path to Freedom. Choice is our Divine Right as humans and I stand in my dominion over any human who would try and force me to believe otherwise.

The only thing I separate myself from...

Oops, wait a second. Thats just like saying, There are no absolutes, which is an absolute statement.

Hum...Ill just leave it here. 🙂

Link:

Freedom? Knowing Who You Are Creates Dominion Over Fearmongers - Huffington Post

When Guadalupe Garca de Rayos was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Mesa, Ariz., after the most recent of her mandated check-ins with the agency, her lawyer, Ray Ybarra Maldonado, was furious. On a conference call, Maldonado said that ICE had lied to him and that he would advise anyone in Rayoss shoes to seek sanctuary in a church instead of turning themselves in.

Rayos considered that option. Understanding that the check-in might pose a new risk during the Trump administration, allies suggestedthat she do so. She declined, opting instead for going to Mass and praying before she went to the ICE office.

She was deported to Mexico, leaving her two children behind.

Seeking sanctuary at a church would not have offered as much shelter as you might assume. Many of us are familiar thanks to The Hunchback of Notre Dame with the concept of taking refuge in a place of worship as a way to avoid civil authorities. While this was a doctrine that existed in some places in the past, it was never instituted by American colonists, and it is not the case now that someone hoping to avoid arrest can be assured of protection in a house of worship. (Nor is it the case that sanctuary cities offer protection from detention by federal immigration authorities, as recent raids have made clear.)

There is, however, a reason that Rayoss attorney recommended seeking refuge in a church. David Leopold, an immigration attorney from Cleveland and former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, pointed to a 2011 memorandum from then-ICE Director John Morton. It established that ICE would not conduct enforcement actions in enumerated sensitive locations: hospitals, schools, the site of a wedding or funeral, during a demonstration or at a place of worship.

It wasnt impossible to conduct such an action; it was just that any enforcement in one of the places on the list mandated approval from a top ICE official before proceeding (except in the case of an emergency).

What makes places of worship uniquely appealing on that list, of course, is that they alone are part of the long tradition of seeking sanctuary. The concept, established more than 1,700 years ago in the Theodosian Code of A.D. 392, upholds tenets offered in the Bible. Exodus 22:21 part of the delineation of laws following the Ten Commandments implores readers to not mistreat or oppress foreigners. Deuteronomy 27:19 declares that those who deny justice to foreigners, orphans and widows should be cursed.

Churches, in other words, may act to protect immigrants out of a sense of religious obligation. And that is where things might get tricky for the Trump administration.

Last week, a draft executive order that was circulating in the White House was leaked to the media. Titled Establishing a Government-Wide Initiative to Respect Religious Freedom, the draft document sides strongly with recent efforts to support the role of religious beliefs in commercial and legal interactions. The draft order focused on political issues that have been at the heart of that conflict, such as same-sex marriage and contraception. But it was a clear indicator that the administration supported a broad interpretation of religious freedom rights.

The most noteworthy case on this subject was Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby, determined in favor of the retail chain by the Supreme Court in 2014. Five justices agreed that the provisions of the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Actmeant that Hobby Lobby could not be forced to cover contraception in its health insurance for employees, despite such a mandate in the Affordable Care Act.

Liz Platt is the director of the Public Rights/Private Conscience Project at Columbia Law School. When we spoke by phone Friday, she suggested that the new breadth of accommodation for religious liberties might make the issue of offering sanctuary trickier. She noted that offering sanctuary to immigrants living in the country illegally has been challenged in the courts previously, with the religious motivations behind the effort playing a muted role.

During the 1980s, a number of religious institutions were helping people fleeing violence in Central America to travel illegally through the United States. Some of those participating in the effort were arrested, and, among other things, the question was raised of whether the arrests violated their First Amendment rights to free religious practice. They lost.

The courts did something that would never fly today, Platt said. The courts questioned whether their religious beliefs were really being burdened. They had some clergy members come in and say, Actually, theres no reason why under Christianity you would need to do this.

Under the Supreme Courts decision in Hobby Lobby, by contrast, they were super deferential to the claimants who said that their religious rights had been burdened, she continued. Under this much, much greater deference to the religious objector and much expanded right to a religious accommodation, I think its certainly a possibility that those cases could come out the opposite way today.

The new, much, much broader of right to religious exemption thats provided under RFRA is going to really give them a chance to relitigate the question of sanctuary, Platt said. She noted, too, that religion might not even be the only boundary, if the leaked executive order is any guide. The document contained protections not only for religion, but also for conscience, she said. This raises the prospect of someone harboring an immigrant in their home, challenging prosecution by citing their conscientious decision to do so.

The issue of punishment for those offering sanctuary is key. Since sanctuary isnt a legal doctrine, those who offer it to immigrants in the country illegally are putting themselves at risk under statutes outlawing the harboring of undocumented immigrants. Federal code bars transporting people known to be in the country illegally or concealing, harboring or shielding those known to be undocumented in any place, including any building or any means of transportation. That includes places of worship.

Leopold, the immigration attorney, agreed that there might be a tension in the administrations likely priorities. Theres an inherent conflict between the harboring statutes and religious freedom in this country, he said. He said he suspects that this could become a significant issue under Trump, thanks in part to his attorney general.

The law is very broad. And thats my fear, Leopold said. My concern is that you have an attorney general in Jeff Sessions who is anti-immigrant. At this point, hes the chief law enforcement officer in the country, and he can use the criminal statutes to prosecute people for harboring.

The penalty for being convicted of harboring someone known to be in the country illegally is five years in federal prison.

The prohibition against raiding places of worship, as outlined in 2011, is a memorandum that could be overturned at any point. Theres another reason that ICE is disinterested in launching raids at places of worship, of course: aesthetics. No head of a government agency wants to have to explain to the public why there were photographs of a priest being lead to a police vehicle in handcuffs.

I think that if Jeff Sessions begins to prosecute people for harboring I think theres going to be hell to pay, Leopold said. I think people are going to recoil at any prosecution of a church or a religious figure or parishioners for doing what they believe is their religious duty.

He compared it to recent protests at airports over Trumps immigration ban. Its the same response that you see when people get off airplanes and are detained at the airport suddenly because they have a passport from a Muslim country, he added. I think youll see the same thing if you see the government going into a place of worship.

Leopold and Platt suggest that the conclusion to any debate over sanctuary might end the same way, in court. If so, the Trump administration may be torn between what it prioritizes more: its ability to deport immigrants in the country illegally or the right of religious Americans to stand in their way.

Continue reading here:

The looming conflict between Trump's immigration sweeps and ... - Washington Post

Let the subject of record be freedom today. The freedom of which Im speaking is that afforded all of us through our recognition of the truth of Jesus Christ. There is something quite liberating when you know or realize that you have been set free. Have you ever thought about what that really means? The word release comes to my mind. Some claim relief is how they understand it. However you want to describe it, I think the revelation of Jesus as Lord and Savior removes a lot of barriers and obstacles and burdens that we as human beings place upon ourselves along with the expectations of life as we have come to know it, as well. Thats why I believe as people initially come to Christ they are overcome by a fresh perspective about life, an enlightened one.

In a real sense, addictions are finally overcome, hurt feelings are healed, guilt is removed and insecurities conquered when Jesus is allowed to enter the picture. One of the biggest things that happens when Christ enters your life is that fears are conquered. And if were honest with ourselves, we all have fears. I know I do. It can be the fear of being alone, of being humiliated, ostracized or even the fear of dying. The knowledge of Christ in all of these situations cancels those fears. Thats what I believe people mean when they say set free. Thats how Ive come to understand real joy. In that context of spiritual awareness being blood bought and saved, I have been set free from fear, worry, anger, greed, selfishness, self-doubt and even self-hate.

These things have hopefully been replaced with honesty and integrity, hope and truth, the promise of everlasting life, confidence and yeah, I know above all, love. One of the hardest things to understand in this life, and then act upon, is this love yourself thing. God even commands us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Without Christ in your life, I believe that the concept of self-love can sometimes be distorted and can, in many cases, become perverted. Love along with humility is an awesome thing. When love is set free within you, life takes on a whole new meaning. You no longer have to live in the shadows of pretense; rather, you can now live in the light of truth. I can be who I really am and so can you. Then the world will see you as God sees you and not who you think it ought to see. I am who God made. If thats good enough for God, then certainly its good enough for anyone who wants to deal with me, including you. I am free and it is wonderful. Freedom is my gift from God, blood bought and paid for by Jesus Christ. Know the truth and the truth shall set you free. You are not what the world would have you be. You are what God made you to be. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Now go tell that.

May God bless and bless and keep you always.

See the rest here:

Freedom is recognized through Jesus Christ - The Philadelphia Tribune

Actress Meryl Streep tore into President Trump during a speech at the Human Rights Campaign's gala in New York on Saturday, calling the commander in chief a bully and condemning his use of Twitter.

"If we live through this precarious moment if his catastrophic instinct to retaliate doesnt lead us to nuclear winter we will have much to thank our current leader for," Streep said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"He will have woken us up to how fragile freedom is. His whisperers will have alerted us to potential flaws in the balance of power in government. To how we have relied on the good will and selflessness of most previous occupants of the Oval Office," she added.

"The whip of the executive, through a Twitter feed, can lash and intimidate, punish and humiliate, delegitimize the press and imagined enemies with spasmodic regularity and easily provoked predictability," she said.

Streep's speech wasn't focused solely on Trump. She also discussed the arts, humanities and a transgender teacher she had in middle school.

Some social media users shared bits of the speech online.

Sing for us all, Meryl Streep. @HRC pic.twitter.com/yNqrZpOUI6

Meryl Streep pays tribute to LGBTQ pioneers and those on the front lines of fighting for civil rights. pic.twitter.com/J6PdfbVTDm

This isn't the first time the actress has been critical of Trump. During a Golden Globes speech earlier this year, she got emotional in a speech hitting Trump for being a bully.

See the rest here:

Meryl Streep: Trump shows 'how fragile freedom is' - The Hill (blog)

Srinagar: Almost a month into last years civil unrest in Kashmir, as violence on the streets spiralled and civilian death toll increased, Ali Saffudin, 23, a rock singer here uploaded a song titled tum kitne jawa maroge on YouTube.

His song goes: Tum kitne jawa maroge, har ghar se jawa niklega/ Jo lahoo hai behta rag rag mein, wo junoon banke ubhre ga (How many youth will you kill, from every home a youth will come out/The blood which flows in the veins, will rise into a frenzy, madness)

The song became quite popular and had 30,000-odd views on YouTube.

Since last years unrest, the Valley has been seeing an increase in the number of protest songs and raps by young artistes who are composing, singing and launching their music on social media.

Ali, a post-graduate student of mass communication at Kashmir University, says, In Kashmir, there is a new wave of resistance through art and a lot of young kids joining in through their respective mediums of expressions.

Ali says his songs depict the reality. My songs portray the general sentiment on the streets of Kashmir. If I do not put those sentiments into my songs I will be blocking my natural process.

I believe people connect to the truth in my song I intent to play some Blues and Kashmiri folk songs, he adds.

Alis protest songs have catapulted him to global recognition. In October, as the unrest continued in the Valley, he appeared on a programme on BBC World Service from London and spoke about the socio-political situation in Kashmir.

Hip-hop revolution

On January 26, two Kashmiri protest raps were uploaded on YouTube Dead Eyes in English, which describes the plight of pellet victims, and Voices of Kashmir, rapped in Urdu, narrates how conflict and the ensuing deaths have ravaged the Valley.

Dead Eyes has garnered over 11,000 views on YouTube in two weeks, while Voices of Kashmir has got 9,000-odd views.

My friend Nazar ul Islam was injured by pellets during the unrest. That was the inspiration to start writing this song, said Aamir Ame (23), the singer of Dead Eyes who is doing his MBA from Kashmir University.

Danish Bhat, 22, a diploma student of engineering who wrote and rapped the Kashmiri part in Dead Eyes, says, Till the time I feel that my people are suffering injustice, I will keep writing and singing.

But the brewing hip-hop revolution is not limited only to the states summer capital Voices of Kashmir has been sung by two rappers from the strife-torn north Kashmir town of Sopore.

During the unrest, there was a neighbour of mine who told me he is going to take a stroll and two hours later I came to know he is no more. One line in my song, says, Koi ghar se gaya, duniya se gaya, said Faizaan Farooq, 22, who along with fellow musician Wani Arman composed and sang Voices of Kashmir.

Read more:

Post unrest, Kashmir 'freedom' songs making waves - Hindustan Times

The Palestinian Authority on Sunday slammed proposed Israeli legislation prohibiting the overnight use of loudspeakers in houses of prayer, calling it an attack on religious freedom.

A new version of the so-called muezzin bill prohibits the use of loudspeakers for religious purposes from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. It was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday. Violators of the proposed legislation will be fined NIS 10,000 ($2,600).

PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday condemned the bill, saying it would drag the area into disaster, according to the official Palestinian news outlet Wafa.

The bill is a revised version of an earlier proposal, which would have banned loudspeakers over a certain volume at all hours, but which drew opposition from ultra-Orthodox lawmakers.

Critics say they new bill does nothing to address the proposals apparent targeting of mosques, which broadcast prayers five times a day. While the legislation wont apply to West Bank mosques, it will silence those in East Jerusalem.

PA spokesperson Yusuf al-Mahmoud said that [the PA] considers the bill seriously damaging to the freedom of worship in Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state.

He said that historically there has been coexistence between Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem, but that the new legislation would change that.

In Jerusalem and in the rest of our country, Palestine, people of different beliefs have lived throughout successive periods of history in respect and harmony, he said. The Arabic, cultural and religious inheritance of Jerusalem stretches back to the depths of history, and in this respect, it is inconceivable that [Israel] could destroy this by imposing a ridiculous and dangerous law that deprives those who follow the Abrahamic religions from upholding their faith, and performing their rituals and religious duties, he added.

He called on Arab states and the international community to prevent Israel from passing the bill into law.

Joint (Arab) List party chairman Ayman Odeh reacts during a plenum session in the assembly hall of the Knesset on January 25, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The head of the Joint (Arab) List in Israels Knesset also condemned the proposed legislation.

This is yet another in a series of offenses committed by this government with the express purpose of marking the Arab community as an enemy within, said Ayman Odeh. This law is not about noise or about quality of life, but is solely racist incitement against the national minority.

Odeh said the traditional call to prayer would outlast the current government. The sound of the muezzin was heard here long before the racists of Netanyahus government and will remain after them, he said.

If the bill passes its initial reading in the Knesset, expected to take place on Wednesday, it will be sent back to committee, after which it will again come before the plenum for its second and third readings prior to becoming law. The backing by the ministerial committee gives the bill coalition support.

Jewish residents of East Jerusalem and other areas of Israel have long complained about what they say is the excessive noise coming from mosque loudspeakers, as they say it wakes them up in the middle of the night.

Here is the original post:

PA calls mosque-muffling bill an attack on religious freedom - The Times of Israel

WASHINGTON, D.C. Speaking at a forum on tolerance, the former U.S. religious freedom ambassador said complaints about religious freedom problems in this country pale in comparison withatrocities faced by religious minorities abroad.

Rabbi David Saperstein, who recently ended his tenure at the U.S. State Department, said he takes seriously tough issues, such as abortion and gay rights, that have divided Americans who emphasize religious or civil rights.

But make no mistake: As painful and real as these issues are in the hearts and souls of the people making these competing claims, we are talking about people who are being brutalized, we are talking about people who are being imprisoned, he said of international religious freedom challenges.

I pray for the day when across the globe the worst problem that we have is how do we balance our competing civil rights claims, he added. What a day for a hallelujah that will be in terms of the entire vision of our international religious freedom efforts.

The forum, Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom, was hosted by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and co-sponsored by Religion News Service and the Religion News Foundation.

Father Thomas Reese, moderator of the event and USCIRF chair, said his bipartisan commission is addressing countries, such as North Korea and China, that are widely considered to be hostile toward religion, and nations such asIraq and Nigeria that have failed to protect the religious freedoms of theircitizens.

There are grave humanitarian consequences when religious freedom is violated, he said. These conditions underscore the need for a different way forward, one of tolerance as a key to religious freedom as well as stability and security.

A representative of the Hindu American Foundation asked the panelists why U.S. agencies that address religious freedom are dominated by members of the Abrahamic faiths and dont tend to include people with Eastern philosophies and secular standpoints.

Reese said the commission is willing to work with Hindu groups to learn more about persecution of Hindus in countries such asPakistan and Bangladesh.

I think thats very important for us to focus on, Reese said. We have to defend not just Christians, not just Jews, not just people from the Abrahamic tradition but people of all faiths or people who have no faith whatsoever, and I think that is a fundamental principle of religious freedom that we should have.

Other panelists at the forum, attended by about 80 journalists, faith leaders and religious freedom experts, stressed the role of educators in building tolerance and religious understanding.

We have to work with teachers often because they have fears and misconceptions about whether they can even teach about religion, said Joyce Dubensky, CEO of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.

They even wonder, she added, whether they have to avoid talking about the reason Puritans came to the U.S. religious persecution.

John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, teaches students in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi about government and religion, fostering discussions that range from the Crusades to Mideast tensions.

The heart of the matter is to understand that the core problem here is not anything other than a mindset of certitude and triumphalism that can manifest itself secularly as well as religiously, he said.

Former Rep. Frank Wolf, a longtime religious freedom activist, urged that Republicans and Democrats set aside partisan differences and continue to travel together to global regions to investigate religious persecution firsthand and visit the imprisoned and their families.

The worst thing in the world is being in the darkest place and think no one cares, he said.

Continued here:

Experts mull religious freedom, tolerance in US and abroad - Crux: Covering all things Catholic

Two Tennessee lawmakers introduced a bill in the Tennessee legislature this week that seeks to protect freedom of speech at Tennessee universities while preventing campuses from stifling students First Amendment rights.

According to the Washington Times, Republican State Rep. Martin Daniel and Sen. Joey Hensley, both Republicans, introduced the Tennessee Freedom of Speech on College Campus Bill last Thursday which seeks to prevent state universities from adopting policies that shield individuals from ideas and opinions considered unwelcome, disagreeable or even deeply offensive.

The bill would prevent campus groups and school administrators from closing off the discussion of ideas no matter how offensive or disagreeable.

In addition, the bill would require every state school to be open to any speaker whom students, student groups, or members of the faculty have invited.

The bill has been dubbed the Milo bill, giving a nod to alt-right figurehead Milo Yiannopoulos whose presence on college campuses routinely causes riots, incited by Democratic protesters who want to prevent Yiannopoulos from speaking. Conservative figures Gavin McInnes and Ben Shapiro have also been blocked from giving speeches at universities.

Campus free speech is being challenged by restrictive speech codes; speaker bans and disinvites; safe spaces and trigger warnings; and administrators who feel pressured to placate demonstrators, Daniel said at a press conference Thursday, according to the Huffington Post.

Too many times weve seen classrooms where the professor doesnt want to hear both sides of an issue, added Hensley. Weve heard stories from many students who are honestly on the conservative side, who have those issues stifled in the classroom.

We just want to ensure that our public universities give all students the right to free expression, Hensley explained. We dont want this happening in Tennessee, what happened in California.

Earlier this month, thousands of protesters rioted on UC Berkeleys campus prior to Yiannopoulos speaking. The university eventually cancelled Yiannopoulos speech and he was escorted by police from the school. According to reports, no rioters were arrested.

Daniel introduced similar legislation last year, according to WVLT-TV, but pulled it after critics said it would theoretically allow Islamic extremists to recruit for the Islamic State at Tennessee universities.

Originally posted here:

Tennessee lawmakers introduce 'Milo bill' to protect freedom of speech on all state campuses - TheBlaze.com

A circular issued by Solapur education officer two days back, asking students to observe February 14 to pay gratitude to parents and mark the sacrifice of freedom fighters, has been withdrawn after it triggered a controversy.

Activists alleged that the circular was a move to counter Valentines Day which is celebrated across the world on February 14 and aimed at promoting cultural terrorism being imposed by certain self-proclaimed godmen.

Following the criticism, education officer Tanaji Ghadage withdrew the letter on Thursday.

When we issued the circular, we did not realise that February 14 is a Valentine day. It was mere coincidence, Ghadage said.

The circular claimed that since freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdeo became martyrs on February 14, the day should be observed for their sacrifice by offering floral tributes to their photos. The circular also asked students to pay gratitude to parents by inviting them in the school.

While Valentines Day is celebrated to express love, certain people, including a self-proclaimed godman, has been celebrating it as day of gratitude for parents to oppose what is being celebrated throughout the world. The circular issued by education officer is an attempt to impose the cultural terrorism being spread by these godmen, said Kishor Darak, an activist working in the education field.

Activists also pointed out that Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdeo became martyrs on March 23, while the circular twisted history by claiming that they were hanged to death on February 14.

Read more:

Circular asking students to pay respects to freedom fighters, parents on Feb 14, withdrawn - Hindustan Times

Given the monumental success of the Freedom boys and girls basketball teams over the years, whenever one or both accomplish something they havent in 15 years, it deserves notice.

That was the case Friday at rival Patton, as the Patriots programs completed Northwestern 3A/4A Conference regular-season titles in the same season for the first time since 2001-02.

The FHS squads have won league tournament titles in the same year multiple times since then, most recently in 2009-10 and 2011-12, and even reached regionals together twice in the last three years.

But it had been a while since a night like Friday.

The Patriots (21-2, 13-1) toppled the Panthers for a 20th straight time without a loss to claim the NWC in outright fashion. They had already sealed the No. 1 seed and at least a share of the league crown earlier in the week.

The win was 11th-year FHS coach Casey Rogers 225th of his career.

Any time you win a championship, its a pretty special feeling, Rogers said. This was our second one of the year with the Christmas tournament championship. But conference regular season is special because its a several-month grind. Youve got to show up 14 different times and try to win night in and night out. Hopefully tonight took care of some things where we can play at Freedom for a while.

Im proud of the guys. Theyre very deserving. Its an interesting mix of a team. Theres a lot of experience, but weve got some youth too, and we battled some injuries.

The opening period featured three lead changes and one tie. Freedom surged to a 25-15 edge on a Fletcher Abee transition basket, but Cody Davis did his best to keep the hosts in the game, scoring 15 early points and pulling Patton (12-12, 7-7) back within 27-23 midway through the second quarter.

Freedom finally broke free when seven straight Abee points made it 48-31 midway through the third. Consecutive Michael Ervin assists to Michael Logan for a 3-pointer and to Cam Edmonson in the post gave Freedom its largest lead at 61-37 late in the decisive third period.

Patriots big men Edmonson finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds and Tobias Kanipe with 16 points and eight boards.

Tobias has been playing so well lately, and Cams been giving us good minutes off the bench, Rogers said. Those two are giving us some consistent scoring inside the paint which weve got to have. Were balanced and dangerous behind the 3, but those two guys are adding some stuff for us.

Abee scored 13, Jakari Dula added 12 and senior point guards Ervin (five) and Niguel Moore (six) combined for 11 assists. Davis led Patton with 19 points, Austin Spurlin got hot late to finish with 18 and Tripp Causby scored 12.

The Lady Patriots (22-1, 14-0) won their ninth straight game over the Panthers, 22nd straight game overall and 36th straight over NWC foes on Friday, and now they look to add to a 42-game home win streak.

The teams back-to-back undefeated NWC runs gives them four seasons with either zero of one conference loss in the last eight seasons.

We all knew this team had a chance to be special, and winning conference was a goal, Freedom coach Amber Reddick said. But I think they even exceeded my expectations a little bit by going undefeated again. There are some good teams in this conference, Watauga, Hickory, South Caldwell and St. Stephens, and it speaks to how hard these players have worked and how zeroed in they stay with their focus. They bring it every night.

Fridays game was just 6-5 on a Selby Baughman bucket in the lane for the hosts, giving her four points with three rebounds early.

Then Amaryah Corpening caught fire, scoring 17 by the time her consecutive field goals made it 29-11 in favor of the guests. The rebounding battle between the teams was tied 10-all after eight minutes, but FHS grabbed nine of the first 10 boards of the second period and forced seven Patton turnovers in the next five minutes.

I thought we were being a little lazy the first few minutes on the boards and not playing at the speed we wanted to, Reddick added. We just called timeout and talked about rebounding, offensively and defensively.

The score was 36-13 by halftime, and Corpening and classmate Ariyana Williams combined for all of the next 12 points. The mercy rule came midway through the fourth on a Blaikley Crooks 3 assisted by CC Davenport.

Corpening scored 21 points with game highs of eight rebounds and three steals, and Williams netted 18 with seven rebounds and three assists. Crooks, Davenport, Madison Bailey and Makayla Moore all grabbed five or more rebounds for Freedom.

Baughman led Patton (4-20, 2-12) with seven points and seven rebounds, Makaley Lovelace had five points and five boards and Beth LeCroy provided a team-high three assists.

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Freedom hoops teams down Patton to sweep NWC regular-season titles - Morganton News Herald

Washington

President Trump is reportedly considering naming former Baylor University President Ken Starr to headthe State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom.

The ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom monitors religious persecution and discrimination worldwide and develops programs to promote religious freedom, according to the State Department website.

The reports about possible picks for the position come a week after more than 700 religious leaders, scholars and human rights advocates signed a letter to President Trump, coordinated by the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, that urges him to name an ambassador-at-large in the first 100 days of his presidency.

"By nominating an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom in your first 100 days you can signal your commitment to people of faith and freedom of conscience, in a way that requires no new taxes and no new legislation while strengthening highly effective offices," it said.

Others rounding outthe short list for the position include Nina Shea and Johnnie Moore, according toForeignPolicy, which first reported the picks on Feb. 9. Rabbi David Saperstein had served as ambassador for the last two years.

Starr is best known for his work investigating President Bill Clinton's extramarital relationship with Monica Lewinsky that led to Clinton's impeachment. The Baylor Board of Regents removed him as president last yearafter an investigation into his mishandling of reports of sexual assault at the private Baptist university in Waco, Texas. He and the university laterannounced a mutual separation.

Not long afterward, he told the student newspaper, the Baylor Lariat, "Im working very hard around the globe on issues of religious liberty for all persons. That was a high priority when I was privileged to serve at Baylor University."

Starr did not return requests for comment by the Dallas Morning News.

Shea is a human rights lawyer at theconservative Hudson Institute. She told Foreign Policy that she was not interested in the position and that, from her discussions,the Trump administration likely willbreak with the Obama administration on religious freedom issues.

Moore is a member of Trump's evangelical advisory board and author of "Defying ISIS: Preserving Christianity in the Place of its Birth and in your own Backyard." He told RNS he has heard "the same thing everybody else is hearing."

"I'm very, very engaged on the issue, and a lot of people have prodded me to be more involved. Almost as quickly as the election happened, a couple people asked me if I would ever be interested in that," he said.

He, too, suspects the Trump administration will approach international religious freedom differently than his predecessor.

"My experience as an advocate for persecuted religious people around the world over the course of the last administration is that the Obama State Department was not very interested in defending those who were persecuted for their religion. They wanted to frame it in different terms," Moore said.

"I think the present administration will take the role of faith in foreign policy, faith in human rights very seriously."

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Ken Starr on shortlist to head Office of International Religious Freedom - National Catholic Reporter

When Thadeus Greenson first started investigating a story about the Eureka Police Department, he had no idea what trials hed face when trying to access information through a video of an officer who arrested a minor.

Greenson, whos covered the case since 2013, first as a reporter for the Times-Standard and later as the editor of the North Coast Journal, filed an August 2014 request for the arrest video under the California Public Records Act.

Three and a half years later, Greenson has won the James Madison Freedom of Information Award in the Professional Journalist category from the Society of Professional Journalists.

According to court records, former Eureka police Sgt. Adam Laird was involved in the case in which a minor, during his arrest, was pushed to the ground, fell to the ground, or just gave up and laid on the ground. A complaint was later filed against the officer over the incident.

Greenson said he was initially intrigued by the case because he thought it was unusual for a police department to take the steps to investigate one of their own. The officer was later charged but the case was dismissed.

It seemed unfinished. I then thought watching the video would provide an essential leg of the case so I submitted a California Public Records Act request, Greenson said. The county and the city both denied it.

He said their response was discouraging but that he remained hopeful and continued to pursue the case and challenged them in court through a provision in juvenile law because it involved a minor.

The first handful of months were intense because I didnt have an attorney. I had never done anything like this before. I had written about court proceedings but was never part of one, Greenson said. Then in May 2015, the court granted the petition and the video was released. The city appealed that ruling. I realized then I was in over my head.

Enter Paul Nicholas Boylan, a California-based attorney with an extensive background in public and government records. Boylan said when he first spoke with Greenson on the phone he was impressed with the journalists strategy.

Ive never encountered anyone who accomplished what he did. Thad approached it differently and immediately I was intrigued by the mechanism on how he got the video, Boylan said. This case was not only a clever way to get a document but was also addressing a statewide problem far beyond Eureka and Humboldt County.

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Boylan said law enforcement agencies had the tendency to justify withholding videos by classifying them as confidential personnel items to evaluate their performance and thus these videos were considered privileged and private information.

Some public agencies dont like people watching what theyre doing. Often times, we as attorneys wait for the cases that have good facts and will lead to greater transparency. Im fairly confident this is going to make new law in California with more access, more sunshine and less secrecy, Boylan said. His patience and desire to follow this story gave the public and opportunity to examine law enforcement especially when it comes to police brutality.

Matt Drange of the Freedom of Information Committee for the Society of Professional Journalists said Greensons case has the potential to influence reporters and journalists all over the state.

What impressed us the most was his willingness and ability to do a lot of the legal legwork himself, Drange said. His case also reinforced a very strong publics right-to-know argument. It sends a message that transparency is a much better option for agencies when it comes to public information.

Drange also said Greensons work was important for the Humboldt County community because he was able to uncover information for the readers.

Its important for the city government to realize that confiscating and hiding informants is not the best course of action, Drange said.

Natalya Estrada can be reached at 707-441-0510.

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Local journalist wins Freedom of Information Award - Eureka Times Standard

Chad Haga's 2016 started out with a terrible crash but ended on a high note. Photo: Caley Fretz

Chad Haga sits at the white marble counter of this Colorado coffee shop with two scars and a smile. The first scar is a reminder of Giant Alpecins training crash last January, left by the car that almost killed him on backroads near Calpe, Spain. The other scar actually its a tattoo is dedicated to his late father, who lost a six-year battle with cancer in June. The smile? He just wrapped up his best-ever cycling season with a marriage, a honeymoon, and, finally, a reset.

Haga, a hobby pianist, college-educated engineer, and man of faith, is especially introspective for a pro cyclist. We met up with him in Fort Collins, Colorado, while he was home for the holidays and discussed why this was both the best and worst season of his life.

VeloNews: Youve had things happen this season that you wouldnt wish upon anybody. How do you turn around and face a new year?

Chad Haga: Theres a lot of perspective gained from things like that, from losing a family member to an unfair cancer, to finding yourself in a ditch after getting plowed by a car. But you realize people are paying me to race my bike. Its the stupidest, best thing Ive ever heard in my life. There are a lot more important things going on in the world than bike racing, yet this is what I get to do for a living. There is a lot of freedom and joy in that. It makes you realize that this is not forever; this is now, so lets go all in.

VN: Your dad was a huge part of cycling for you. He was the one who pushed you to go all in.

CH: He was my biggest supporter; my racing was an escape for him as he battled cancer for six years. He would record all the races and watch them and keep up with them at work, so it was encouraging to have him cheering for me from afar. But even more so, his cancer is what got me into racing full time. I was on track to an engineering job, and an opportunity to race on an elite team opened up the same time as I was graduating, which was the same time he was diagnosed. He told me, I worked 27 years at this job for my retirement, and now theres no guarantee that Ill make it there. But you can race your bike now. The desk job will always be there. Go race. That was the impetus to go for it. And his death reminds me that life is short, theres no reason that it should be boring.

VN: The tattoo on your forearm suggests perspective, too.

CH: It says, Eternity gained, only life remains. I got it this summer. Its a reminder that ultimately, eternity is settled, so however this life ends, I hope it goes well, but if it ends poorly its still going to end well. So dont let fear of life hold you back. Thats some hard-earned perspective.

VN: Does that help you step into a new season? How do you get your head back in it?

CH: I guarantee were going to winter camp and were going to do sprint workouts on the same road where the crash happened. [Haga and five teammates were hospitalized after being struck head-on by a British motorist driving on the wrong side of the road.] Thats going to be tough the first couple times. But all the bad thats happened has sort of grounded me a bit in my faith. I realize Im completely powerless. Its a waste of energy to worry about another English driver coming around the corner in my lane. Im powerless. Completely powerless. Theres freedom in that. Ill do the best I can and take care of myself, but ultimately its not up to me. I let go of that worry.

VN: This year still had bright spots, though.

CH: Yeah, it was a very up and down year. I got through two grand tours in a year, finished both of them. Thats something I wanted to do. I got some results in there. The team got some results that I contributed to. Even with the setback, it felt like I was able to make a step forward in terms of where I fit in the race. Instead of being the guy who does the early work, the team is shifting me toward more significant roles. Ill be a super domestique in a grand tour for a GC rider next year. Thats encouraging.

VN: What did you learn about yourself from the crash?

CH: I can get through the hardest circumstances Ive ever encountered. Not only get back, but past it. It helps that my job is to be the best bike racer possible, so for months it was three hours of training and 21 hours of recovery. It was very focused.

VN: How long did it take to put it behind you?

CH: It was a few months. I was still having neck and shoulder issues at the Giro. Four or five months. And there are small lingering physical things, but they dont affect me on the bike.

VN: What about psychologically?

CH: Im a bit more alert, more assertive in traffic. In the peloton, sometimes the fear will click on and youll realize that if someone messes up its going to be really ugly. But you have to push those thoughts away.

VN: This is still a mostly secular sport, at least outwardly so. Youve been a bit more public about your faith lately. Why?

CH: Its a motivating factor for me. Im gaining confidence and putting it out there a bit more. When you say youre a Christian in this world you get focused in on a little bit. People wonder, which kind of Christian are we talking about here?

VN: What kind are you?

CH: Im the kind that tries to love people as were called to. To be giving and sincere and honest and trustworthy. With that on display, it keeps me focused when we have a bad moment. Ultimately, what I accomplish is a joint effort. Ill do my best and however it turns out is whatever was intended. But it requires my side, so I put myself fully into everything.

VN: By requires my side, you mean use your gift as a cyclist?

CH: Yeah. There are a lot of guys who work maybe even harder than me who never get to this point. But Ive been presented this opportunity and given these abilities and so if I squander it then its not really fair to myself or to God. What did I do with it? I want to say I made the most of it.

Continued here:

Chad Haga interview: Racing with freedom and joy - VeloNews (blog)

Politics By Emily McFarlan Miller | 6 hours ago

Ken Starr, former president of Baylor University, in a portrait at Founders Mall in front of Pat Neff Hall at Baylor. Photo courtesy of Robert Rogers/Baylor Marketing and Communications

(RNS) President Trump is reportedly considering naming former Baylor University President Ken Starr to headthe State Departments Office of International Religious Freedom.

The ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom monitors religious persecution and discrimination worldwide and develops programs to promote religious freedom, according to the State Department website.

The reports about possible picks for the position come a week after more than 700 religious leaders, scholars and human rights advocates signed a letter to President Trump, coordinated by the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative, that urges him to name an ambassador-at-large in the first 100 days of his presidency.

By nominating an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom in your first 100 days you can signal your commitment to people of faith and freedom of conscience, in a way that requires no new taxes and no new legislation while strengthening highly effective offices, it said.

Others rounding outthe short list for the position include Nina Shea and Johnnie Moore, according toForeignPolicy, which first reported the picks on Thursday (Feb. 9). Rabbi David Saperstein had served as ambassador for the last two years.

Starr is best known for his work investigating President Bill Clintons extramarital relationship with Monica Lewinsky that led to Clintons impeachment. The Baylor Board of Regents removed Starras president last yearafter an investigation into his mishandling of reports of sexual assault at the private Baptist university in Waco, Texas. He and the university laterannounced a mutual separation.

Not long afterward, he told the student newspaper, the Baylor Lariat, Im working very hard around the globe on issues of religious liberty for all persons. That was a high priority when I was privileged to serve at Baylor University.

Starr did not return requests for comment by The Dallas Morning News.

Shea is a human rights lawyer at theconservative Hudson Institute. She told Foreign Policy that she was not interested in the position and that, from her discussions,the Trump administration likely willbreak with the Obama administration on religious freedom issues.

Moore is a member of Trumps evangelical advisory board and author of Defying ISIS: Preserving Christianity in the Place of Its Birth and in Your Own Backyard. He told RNS he has heard the same thing everybody else is hearing.

Im very, very engaged on the issue, and a lot of people have prodded me to be more involved. Almost as quickly as the election happened, a couple people asked me if I would ever be interested in that, he said.

He, too, suspects the Trump administration will approach international religious freedom differently than his predecessor.

My experience as an advocate for persecuted religious people around the world over the course of the last administration is that the Obama State Department was not very interested in defending those who were persecuted for their religion. They wanted to frame it in different terms, Moore said.

I think the present administration will take the role of faith in foreign policy, faith in human rights very seriously.

Emily McFarlan Miller is a national reporter for RNS based in Chicago. She covers evangelical and mainline Protestant Christianity.

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Ken Starr on shortlist to head Office of International Religious Freedom - Religion News Service

Mr Mason has made clear that he regrets the offence and upset that has been caused by his comments, and that he is extremely sorry that this has happened.

Ms Sturgeon added: I would like to offer my own personal apology to you for the upset that has been caused to you as a result of comments made by a member of my party.

The MSP was criticised by politicians in Scotland and Northern Ireland and initially refused to withdraw his comments before apologising last Tuesday, almost a week after the row erupted

The apology emerged after he was contacted by Bill Kidd, the SNP chief whip, who told him in an email that the issue could cause Ms Sturgeon embarrassment. He also called on Mr Mason to come to his office last Tuesday to talk about the way this story has developed publicly and find a way to avoid a repeat of it.

A memorial was dedicated to the three soldiers in 2010 close to where they were killed in north Belfast.

Last month the controversial 59-year-old backbencher was forced to deny trivialising rape when he argued there should be a second independence referendum because a girl does not always say yes first time.

Kezia Dugdale, the Scottish Labour leader, called on Ms Sturgeon to take disciplinary action against him

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Nicola Sturgeon apologises for MSP's IRA 'freedom fighters' comment - Telegraph.co.uk

With representatives from the College of Charleston gathered at the Statehouse for the colleges official day of recognition, South Carolina Sen. Marlon Kimpson took the opportunity to share a message about academic freedom with board members and his fellow legislators.

"Let me encourage you to maintain the principles of academic freedom, freedom of expression, where your students can continue to exercise their First Amendment rights," Kimpson said on the Senate floor. "And that equally applies to the professors. We want to encourage discourse, whether we agree or not with a subject or political matter in our schools."

Watch Kimpson's full remarks here.

This issue of academic freedom has been of main concern to both professors and students at the College of Charleston following the most recent presidential election. As previously reported by the City Paper, deans and department chairs at CofC received an email from the schools provost and vice president of academic affairs, Brian McGee, in the days following the election of President Donald Trump, saying that school officials had received several reports of students "perceiving that election discussions in a class meeting were not relevant to course content, were inappropriately one-sided, or were crudely partisan." McGee acknowledged in his email that he had not attempted to confirm the accuracy of most of the accounts in one case, dismissing the accuracy of the account altogether and instead cautioned faculty about "demonstrating respect for students and about the intersection of teaching and political commitments."

With concerns that their freedoms in the classroom were being challenged, faculty members met for a forum in January to discuss issues surrounding what constitutes inappropriate and partisan comments. One main topic of discussion was 2014s Fun Home controversy that drew legislative actions from state officials. Provided as a part of a college reading program for faculty and incoming students, Alison Bechdels memoir detailed the events of her childhood with a closeted gay father and her coming out as a lesbian.

At the time, Kimpson objected to his fellow senators preoccupation with the book and efforts to sanction the College of Charleston for introducing it to students. With new concerns bubbling up over academic freedom at the College of Charleston, Kimpson found it important to address school officials and state lawmakers about the importance of free speech in the classroom.

"I wanted to remind board members that college is a place for robust discussion of all kinds of viewpoints. We should encourage this type of communication. Its 2017, and we must recognize that students and faculty alike may encounter viewpoints and opinions that may be new for members of the legislature," Kimpson said when reached for comment Friday. "We spent a considerable amount of time speaking on the Fun Home issue, and I regret that we interfered and micromanaged a freshman book list, primarily because the author was lesbian."

Speaking to recent reports surrounding academic freedom at the College of Charleston, Kimpson added that "conservative students should feel comfortable expressing their viewpoints, while professors, board members and the administration should foster free conversation in the classroom."

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Sen. Marlon Kimpson speaks on academic freedom during CofC Day at the Statehouse - Charleston City Paper

Iranians take part in a rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution on February 10, 2017, in the capital Tehran. (Photo by AFP)

President Hassan Rouhani has praised Iranians for turning out in millions on Friday to celebrate the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, saying the rallies are a response to recent threats by new US rulers against Iran.

Rouhani's remarks came after the US said ithad put Iran "on notice" in reaction to a January29 missile test and fresh sanctions onindividuals and entities.

A political commentator believes the mass rallies are a very important message at a very sensitive juncture, adding that they reflect the genuineness of the Islamic Revolution.

It says in a very clear way that the Iranian people continue their steadfastness, continue their support to the leadership and to the same set of values and norms and morals that they have supported since the beginning of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic 38 years ago, Ibrahim Mousawi told Press TV in an interview on Friday.

He also stated that Iran has set a model for all those who believe in freedom, honor and dignity.

The commentator also noted that the rallies are a message of support to the cause of the oppressed people in Palestine, and a message of solidarity, steadfastness, strength, confidence, and hope for the generations to come.

Mousawi further stated these rallies "indicate complete adherence to the principles of Islam, to the values of freedom, and independence."

He went on to say that the Iranian people "are giving their confidence and hope to their leadership, and they are showing that they are ready to defend and sabotage all the conspiracies."

The commentator added that US President Donald Trump needs to think a lot more before committing any kind of fallacy especially after his continuous threats against Iran.

He also asserted that Trump has divided the American people because of his domestic and foreign policies.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Mousawi described Iran as a real, deeply entrenched, genuine force that plays a strategic role in the Middle East and beyond.

He concluded by saying that the UShas to revisit its policiesabout Iran and maybe it has to adopt a wiser, more reasonable and rational position towards the Islamic Republic.

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Iran role model of freedom, dignity: Commentator - Press TV

religious freedom By Adelle M. Banks | February 9, 2017

Jay Kansara, director of government relations for the Hindu American Foundation, asks a question of the panel at Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Frank Wolf speaks at Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom event in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Participants in the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

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John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, speaks during the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Mohamed Elsanousi, center with microphone, director of the Washington, D.C., office for the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, asks panelists a question during the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Rabbi David Saperstein. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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The Rev. Thomas J. Reese. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Frank Wolf, senior fellow of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative and former member of Congress. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Joyce Dubensky, CEO of Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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Religion News Foundation CEO Thomas Gallagher, far right, begins the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

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The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, left, reacts as Rabbi David Saperstein speaks with John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, looking on during the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

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Religion News Foundation CEO Thomas Gallagher begins the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

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WASHINGTON (RNS) Speaking at a forum on tolerance, the former U.S. religious freedom ambassador said complaints about religious freedom problems in this country pale in comparison withatrocities faced by religious minorities abroad.

Rabbi David Saperstein, who recently ended his tenure at the U.S. State Department, said he takes seriously tough issues, such as abortion and gay rights, that have divided Americans who emphasize religious or civil rights.

But make no mistake: As painful and real as these issues are in the hearts and souls of the people making these competing claims, we are talking about people who are being brutalized, we are talking about people who are being imprisoned, he said of international religious freedom challenges.

I pray for the day when across the globe the worst problem that we have is how do we balance our competing civil rights claims, he added. What a day for a hallelujah that will be in terms of the entire vision of our international religious freedom efforts.

The forum, Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom, was hosted by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and co-sponsored by Religion News Service and the Religion News Foundation.

The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, left, reacts as Rabbi David Saperstein speaks with John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, looking on during the panel discussion Tolerance: A Key to Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 9, 2017. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

The Rev. Thomas Reese, moderator of the event and USCIRF chair, said his bipartisan commission is addressing countries, such as North Korea and China, that are widely considered to be hostile toward religion, and nations such asIraq and Nigeria that have failed to protect the religious freedoms of theircitizens.

There are grave humanitarian consequences when religious freedom is violated, he said. These conditions underscore the need for a different way forward, one of tolerance as a key to religious freedom as well as stability and security.

A representative of the Hindu American Foundation asked the panelists why U.S. agencies that address religious freedom are dominated by members of the Abrahamic faiths and dont tend to include people with Eastern philosophies and secular standpoints.

Reese said the commission is willing to work with Hindu groups to learn more about persecution of Hindus in countries such asPakistan and Bangladesh.

I think thats very important for us to focus on, Reese said. We have to defend not just Christians, not just Jews, not just people from the Abrahamic tradition but people of all faiths or people who have no faith whatsoever, and I think that is a fundamental principle of religious freedom that we should have.

Joyce Dubensky, CEO of Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. RNS photo by Cathy Lynn Grossman

Other panelists at the forum, attended by about 80 journalists, faith leaders and religious freedom experts, stressed the role of educators in building tolerance and religious understanding.

We have to work with teachers often because they have fears and misconceptions about whether they can even teach about religion, said Joyce Dubensky, CEO of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding.

They even wonder, she added, whether they have to avoid talking about the reason Puritans came to the U.S. religious persecution.

John Sexton, president emeritus of New York University, teaches students in Shanghai and Abu Dhabi about government and religion, fostering discussions that range from the Crusades to Mideast tensions.

The heart of the matter is to understand that the core problem here is not anything other than a mindset of certitude and triumphalism that can manifest itself secularly as well as religiously, he said.

Former Rep. Frank Wolf, a longtime religious freedom activist, urged that Republicans and Democrats set aside partisan differences and continue to travel together to global regions to investigate religious persecution firsthand and visit the imprisoned and their families.

The worst thing in the world is being in the darkest place and think no one cares, he said.

Adelle M. Banks, production editor and a national reporter, joined RNS in 1995. An award-winning journalist, she previously was the religion reporter at the Orlando Sentinel and a reporter at The Providence Journal and newspapers in the upstate New York communities of Syracuse and Binghamton.

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Experts mull religious freedom, tolerance in US, abroad | Religion ... - Religion News Service

Freedom. We sing about it in our patriotic songs. We teach it to our children in school. Hollywood and Madison Avenue glorify it. Here in the United States, freedom is the civic religion.

But if freedom is our civic religion, why is the libertarian movement in the U.S. so small? Why is government so big and our jails so full? Is all our talk of freedom mere lip service? Are we a nation of sheeple duped by the powers that be?

To some degree, yes. But these are not the major reasons why the libertarian movement is so small. Pure libertarians lack credibility with the masses because they dont necessarily offer liberty. Abolish the government willy nilly and reduced liberty is the likely result. The power vacuum left by vanished government is likely to be filled by feudal warlords, a military junta and/or invading armies. Anarchy with liberty may be possible but it is not automatic. The People are prudent to refuse the risk.

What about moderate libertarians? What about those who would like to shrink the federal government to its Constitutional bounds? Why havent freedom lovers joined their banners en masse? Well, some did, for Ron Pauls recent run for President, but not nearly enough to win the Republican nomination, much less elect a President. This is supposed to be the Land of the Free. What gives?

It took me years to figure it out, but I believe I have the answer. It is an answer most active libertarians will not like to hear. Pragmatic libertarians do indeed offer liberty, but liberty is not the same thing as freedom!

By liberty I mean what my libertarians friends mean by liberty: liberty is the absence of coercion. It is a state of being where transactions are voluntary, where all constraints are the result of honest contracts. I like liberty. I wish we had more of it, here and in other parts of the world. I even have a series on libertarian strategy in the the hope that libertarians become more successful in increasing liberty. But liberty is not the same thing as freedom. Freedom is something bigger.

So what is freedom?

You can pull out a dictionary for a stilted definition. I will define it simply: freedom is being able to do what you want to do. Free speech and free beer both speak of freedom. Free speech is a freedom that comes directly from liberty. Free beer, however, requires more than mere permission to drink fermented barley. It requires that someone has gone through the trouble to brew the beer and is willing to give it out. If no one is so inclined brew beer and give it away, the ideal of Freedom as in Free Beer contains a conflict. Free beer for you means beer servitude for someone else.

This is why freedom-loving Vulcans stick to promoting liberty. They see the potential conflict inherent in free beer freedoms as a contradiction. Liberty can be granted to all who respect the liberty of others or at least thats the ideal. (In practice we run up against a few conflicts or even contradictions.) So many libertarians would define freedom down to mere liberty, and thus wall off from their minds the messy business of balancing trade-offs.

I say mere liberty because for many people more liberty need not translate into more freedom. A marginal increase in liberty can result is subtantially less freedom, especially in the short run. This, I submit, is why libertarianism has limited popularity here in the Land of the Free. For millions of people liberal and conservative ideas offer more increments freedom than many libertarian ideas.

Consider a single mom who has to put in 50 hour weeks at Dennys to support her children. A cuddly fascist offering government childcare and socialized medicine along with his program of censorship of naughty TV and conquering Bolivia for no good reason offers more freedom to this mother than a smaller government libertarian. This is but one illustration. I give others elsewhere.

Libertarianism has limited popularity for good reason.

This is not a libertarian site. It is a pro-freedom site. Here, we attempt to balance several freedoms, including:

Back when I was a libertarian and active in the Libertarian Party, I spent thousands of dollars and hours promoting the party and the cause. Converts and recruits were few and far between. Today, I am mostly out of the game, playing Candy Land with my young daughter instead of placing signs, dropping leaflets, working booths and attending meetings. Yet I have well over a hundred people lining up to join my nonexistent new political party proposed elsewhere on this site.

Freedom is popular here in the Land of the Free.

What is not popular is knowledge of how to be more free. Many liberals call for mass bureaucracy because they know no other way to achieve freedom from the boss. If that is you, or you wish to persuade such liberals otherwise, see the red titles on the sidebar. Likewise, many environmentalists believe we have to abride economic freedom and/or our prosperous way of life in order to preserve nature. For you I have the green article series. For those of you who desire a safe and moral place to raise your children, there are the blue articles.

If you are ready to dive in and look at specific proposals, feel free to jump to the relevant article series. On the other hand, if you are a top down thinker, or a libertarian/small government conservative who has a hard time grokking the distinction between liberty and freedom, please continue with this series.

Go here to see the original:

What is Freedom - Holistic Politics

Senator Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, introduces Attorney General Ken Paxton during A Call to Prayer for Texas at the state Capitol.

With the media seemingly preoccupied by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patricks bathroom bill, three Republican state senators have quietly introduced a sweeping anti-LGBT religious freedom measure.

Senate Bill 651, filed last week, would bar state agencies that are responsible for regulating more than 65 licensed occupations from taking action against those who choose not to comply with professional standards due to religious objections.

Eunice Hyon Min Rho, advocacy and policy counsel for the ACLU, said SB 651 would open the door to rampant discrimination against LGBT people, women seeking reproductive health care and others. Rho said the bill could lead to doctors with religious objections refusing to perform medical procedures, teachers not reporting child abuse if they support corporal punishment, or a fundamentalist Mormon police officer declining to arrest a polygamist for taking underage brides.

This is incredibly broadly written, said Rho, who monitors religious freedom legislation across the country. Its just really alarming. There are no limitations to this bill.

Rho said only one state, Arizona, has passed a similar law, but unlike SB 651 it includes exceptions related to health care and law enforcement. She also warned that anti-LGBT state lawmakers may be trying to use the bathroom bill as a distraction.

I think because some of the bills are receiving more attention than others, its a way for them to sneak some stuff through with a little bit less fanfare, Rho said. This is a tactic weve seen in countless states.

The three senators listed as joint authors of SB 651 Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola and Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.

Last year, Perry obtained a non-binding opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton saying an American Bar Association rule prohibiting LGBT discrimination would violate the religious freedom of attorneys if adopted by the Texas Bar Association.

In its preamble, SB 651 notes that more than half of Texas senators, and over one-third of state representatives, are licensed in occupations regulated by the state.

Those occupations include mental health counseling, and Rho said SB 651 could be partly intended as a pre-emptive strike against efforts to ban the widely discredited practice of reparative therapy, which seeks to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of patients. The controversial practice is also known as conversion therapy or ex-gay therapy.

David Pickup, a licensed counselor who practices reparative therapy in Dallas, called SB 651 a good step in the right direction.

For those therapists who are religious, certainly it would apply, said Pickup, whos fought efforts to ban reparative therapy in other states. I would prefer if there was something that mentions therapy specifically.

Courtesy of Celia Israel

Representative Celia Israel, D-Austin, whos led efforts to ban reparative therapy, said it wasnt immediately clear how SB 651 would affect her legislation if both measures pass. But Israel noted that SB 651 is one of several anti-LGBT measures originating in the more conservative Senate.

We stand ready to defend against all of them as they work their way over to the Texas House, said Israel, one of the Legislatures two openly LGBT members. My colleagues are all saying this is likely to be the most divisive session they have ever experienced.

As of Thursday, nine anti-LGBT bills had been filed in the 2017 session, according to Equality Texas, compared to at 23 in 2015. But there were indications that additional anti-LGBT religious freedom proposals are coming before the March 10 filing deadline.

Representative Scott Sanford, R-McKinney, a Southern Baptist pastor who co-chairs the right-wing Legislative Prayer Caucus, told supporters prior to the session that attacks on religious liberty are going at us fast and furious.

The number of bills that were going to have to file is amazing to protect the religious liberty of Texans, Sanford said.

Representative Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, the other co-chair of the Prayer Caucus, characterized the groups approach as a balancing test between discrimination and the exercise of religion.

Theres a lot of areas out there where we can be proactive and say, You will not be harmed if you exercise your religious liberty in this manner, said Krause, an attorney.

Dan Quinn, a spokesman for the pro-LGBT Texas Freedom Network (TFN), said he doubts any anti-LGBT legislation will slip through under the radar. Like the bathroom bill, its expected to face strong opposition from the business community.

Everyone who cares about equality and discrimination is watching these bills very closely, Quinn said. It may pass, but it aint gonna pass in the dark of night.

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Advocates Say Sweeping Anti-LGBT Religious Freedom Bill Has 'No Limitations' - Texas Observer