Regardless of your political inclinations, if you believe that religious liberty is important you are likely disappointed in how the recent political controversy regarding President Trump’s telephone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky has overshadowed President Trump’s remarks at the U.N. Religious Freedom Summit.
Religious Freedom is too important an issue to be sacrificed on the altar of political ideology, but unfortunately, the mainstream news outlets thought they smelled blood and went into hyperfocus. Largely, every story that did not include an angle related to President Trump’s call with President Zelensky was pushed aside.
President Trump is the first U.S. President to address Religious Freedom at the U.N. While he fails to display many of the characteristics usually associated with religiosity, Trump is building a track record favorable to religious liberty.
At the President’s direction, the United States created the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response initiative and has provided more than $370 million to aid ethnic minorities and faith communities persecuted by ISIS in Iraq and throughout the Middle East Region. Earlier this year, at the President’s direction, Secretary of State Pompeo hosted the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington on July 16-18. The 2019 Ministerial was the largest religious freedom event of its kind in the world with more than 1,000 civil society and religious leaders, and more than 100 foreign delegations invited.
President Trump, speaking Monday at a United Nations Summit on Religious Freedom said, “The United States is founded on the principle that our rights do not come from government. They come from God. This immortal truth is proclaimed in our declaration of independence and enshrined in the first amendment to our constitution’s bill of rights. Our founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow one’s religious convictions. Regrettably, the religious freedom enjoyed by American citizens is rare in the world. Approximately 80% of the world’s population lives in countries where religious liberty is threatened, restricted, or even banned.”
Making an announcement to commit additional resources to this cause, he said, “We must all work together to protect communities of every faith. We’re also urging every nation to increase the prosecution and punishment of crimes against religious communities. There can be no greater crime than that. This includes measures to prevent the intentional destruction of religious sites and relics. Today, the Trump administration will dedicate an additional $25 million to protect religious freedom and religious sites and relics.”
He invited governments around the world to join the U.S. in our efforts to protect believers. He said, “Today I ask all nations to join us in this urgent moral duty. We ask the governments of the world to honor the eternal right of every person to follow their conscience, live by their faith, and give glory to God. The United States has a vital role in this critical mission.”
On Tuesday in front of the U.N. General Assembly, President Trump addressed civil liberties in an even broader sense. He explained, “My administration is working with other nations to stop the criminalizing of homosexuality and we stand in solidarity with LGBTQ people who live in countries that punish, jail, or executed individuals based upon sexual orientation. We’re also championing the role of women in our societies. Nations that empower women are much wealthier, safer and much more politically stable. It is therefore vital, not only to a nation’s prosperity but also is vital to its national security to pursue women’s economic development guided by these principles.”
Regardless of your feelings toward this president, all indications are that this administration is taking historic steps to defend civil liberties and religious freedom. For this, we should all be grateful.
