The Hijacking of Religion
-
Jonathan Gallagher
- August 21, 2008
- Abdelfattah Amor
- Aidir Amir Daud
- Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolera
- Fajar
- Human Life
- Jonathan Gallagher
- Maksum Maksum
- on Human Rights
- religious intolerance
- religious liberty
- Special Rapporteur
- Sudan
- Taliban
- Thomas Clarke
- UN Declaration
- US Commission on International Religious Freedom
By Jonathan Gallagher, Ph.D. – “For a country to move from general tolerance to extreme intolerance in just a few short years speaks of the power of religion, and its ready exploitation by those seeking political authority and control. The fuel is human competition. For where there is enough food, land, water and other resources, the need to fight other communities is much reduced. But as the world becomes increasingly overpopulated, then such scenarios can only increase. Religion is so close to the heart of how any society defines itself that those seeking political power and worldly goals will readily use such a potent weapon. The exploitation of religious belief is not new—witness the jihads and crusades from history—but its greatly increased impact and extent will be the dominant factors for the foreseeable future.”
Read MoreWhy Communities Must Support Public Education
By Danielle Peabody – “If society expects to reap the benefits of educational improvements, society needs to be willing to step in and contribute its time, talent, and support to making education work. It is not something that schools alone can be expected to achieve – parents, neighbors, taxpayers, and future employers have the opportunity to take an active involvement at the local level through their volunteer efforts and supportive work. This is not so much an issue of money as it is a dedication to make sure that society will benefit from education and that education will benefit from society.”
Read More