3 Things to Do about Religious Freedom
Elder Ronald A Rasband
BYU 15 Sept 2015
http://ldsmag.com/elder-ronald-a-rasbands-landmark-talk-at-byu-3-things-to-do-about-religious-freedom/
Elder Ronald A. Rasband gave BYU students important
perspective on religious freedom and fairness to all in a landmark devotional
Tuesday, Sept. 15. He said that in preparing his remarks he had worked closely
with the Public Affairs Committee of the Church which is headed by Elder D.
Todd Christofferson.
He said, “Because you are a sophisticated and intelligent
audience, I intend to speak to you with the candor your generation craves. I
suspect that for some of you the phrase religious freedom feels more like
freedom to discriminate. I want to talk to you about this view and help you
understand what the Church means when it talks religious freedom and why it is
so vitally important for your future and for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.
“Some in your age group wonder why religious groups are
involved in politics in the first place and are often skeptical of the motives
of religious people when they do so. In recent years, the collective voice of
groups who feel that religion should not play a role in political deliberation
has grown louder.
“The opportunity to be involved in the political process
is a privilege given to every citizen. Our laws and legislation play an important
teaching role in shaping our social and moral culture. We need every individual
in society to take an active role in engaging in civic dialogue that helps
frame laws and legislation that are fair for everyone.”
To explain what Elder Rasband meant by religious freedom
he told the hypothetical stories of two people, both in careers that were
important to them and where they hoped to make a good impression.
The first is Ethan who had started his job in a career he
longed for and wants to make a good impression. He comes early, stays late and
does excellent work. Then one day at lunch he shares with some of his
co-workers that he is gay. Awkwardness follows in this conservative environment
and Ethan feels hurt and rejected. Things become increasingly more difficult at
work for him and he finds himself excluded from large projects and social
activities. His productivity suffers and soon his boss feels that he is not
keeping up and fires him. “Despite all claims to the contrary, Ethan knows he
has been fired for being gay.”
Then there’s Samantha who works in the administrative
offices of a local university. She loves her job in a stimulating environment,
full of diversity until one day a co-worker approaches her and asks if she is a
Mormon. When Samantha cheerfully responds that she is, the co-worker asks, “Why
do you hate gays?” Samantha is surprised by the question but tries to explain
her belief in God and his commandments which includes guidelines on moral and
sexual behavior. Soon other co-workers begin to confront her with questions and
attacks and her boss cautions her against proselytizing at work or her job will
be in jeopardy. Her work, like Ethan’s begins to suffer, and rather than risk
being fired, Samantha starts to look for another job.
Elder Rasband said, “Now these are hypothetical stories
and yet they are not. There are many Samantha’s and Ethan’s. However we choose
to live and whatever choices we make, we share a common humanity and desire for
fairness and kindness. Ethan should not have been fired for being gay and
Samantha should not have been intimidated for being religious. Both were
wrongly criticized, judged and retaliated against.
“Now in today’s society it is politically correct to
empathize with Ethan’s situation but less so with Samantha’s. Ethan may find
his case picked up by an advocacy group as yet another example of anti-gay
discrimination and indeed he does deserve protection. But what about Samantha?
Who will defend her right to religious conscience? What about her right to live
authentically as a person of faith, committed to love and serving everyone, but
also with the right to choose what is right and wrong and to live her life
accordingly? Our society has become so blind by its quest to redress wrongful
discrimination against one class of people that it is now in danger of creating
another victimized class–people of faith like you and me.
“Already some religious schools are being questions
because they require students and faculty to adhere to an honor code that
requires fidelity and chastity,” Elder Rasband noted. “CEO’s of large companies
have been marginalized or forced to resign because their personal religious
views are no longer politically acceptable. And some businesses have been
forced to close because their owners have spoken their conscience.
“Despite what you may have read or heard over the years,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has stood consistently for
freedom of choice and conscience. Many years ago the prophet Joseph Smith
wrote, “We believe that all men are created equal and that all have the
privilege of thinking for themselves upon all matters relative to conscience.”
He went on to say, ‘If I have been willing to die for a Mormon I am just as
willing to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good
man of any other denomination for the same principle which would trample upon
the rights of Latter-day Saints would trample upon the rights of any other
denomination who may be unpopular and too weak to defend themselves.’”
Elder Rasband said that he can assure that Apostles and
Prophets have given significant consideration to the position of the Church on
religious freedom. He said, “We believe in following the commandments of God
which are designed to secure our eternal happiness. However, God will force no
man to heaven.
“We believe in creating a space for everyone to live
their conscience without infringing on the rights and safety of others. When
the rights of one group collide against the rights of another, we must follow
the principle of being as fair and sensitive to as many people as possible. The
Church believes and teaches in fairness for all. Protecting conscience is about
safeguarding the way someone thinks and feels and their right to act on those
beliefs.
“I am talking about someone telling you that the
thoughts, feelings, and beliefs you have are not allowed, valued or acceptable
because your views are not popular. A war in heaven was fought for agency. It
is a gross violation of that agency to force someone to betray their conscience
because their views do not align with the crowd.
He said not to misunderstand him on this. When he spoke
of being authentic, “the Lord does not give us a free pass to live anyway we
choose without consequences. We are still accountable to Him for our choices.
He has said, ‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father, which is in heaven,
is perfect. “The commandment to seek after perfection implies we start where we
are and seek the Lord’s help to lift us to where he wants us to go. Being true to
our authentic self requires continual effort to increase our light, knowledge
and understanding.”
Elder Rasband said that “the Church favors a balanced
approach that secures the rights of all people.” At the January press
conference on “Religious Freedom and Fairness to All”, Elder Oaks had said, “We
call on local, state and the federal government to serve all of their people by
passing legislation that protects vital religious freedoms for all individuals,
families and churches and other faith groups, while also protecting the rights
of our LGBT citizens in such areas as housing, employment and public
accommodation, in hotels, restaurants and transportation, protections which are
not available in many parts of the country.”
With the Church’s support within six weeks, Utah had
passed a law that protected the LGBT community against eviction, housing
discrimination or being fired from a job because of sexual orientation and at
the same time protected religious people in the workplace and the public
square.
Elder Rasband said, “No doctrinal or religious principles
were sacrificed. No changes were made to God’s moral law and our belief that
sexual relations should only occur within marriage between a man and a woman.
The outcome was fair to all and reflects the consistency and moral teachings
and respect for others.”
Elder Rasband made the following suggestions to negotiate
the challenging times we live in regarding religious freedom.
“First, try to
view others through a lens of fairness. To do this requires you to first
acknowledge that Heavenly Father loves each of his children equally. He has
said, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’ There is no choice, sin or
mistake that you or anyone else can make that will change his love for you or
for them.
“That does not mean he excuses or condones sinful
conduct, nor do we in ourselves or in others, but it does mean that we reach
out in love to persuade, to help and to rescue. When you feel completely and
perfectly loved, it is much easier to love others and see them the way the
Savior does.
“Please turn to our Savior in prayer and ask to receive
his pure love, both for yourself and for others. He has promised that you will
feel his love if you ask in faith. Being filled with this pure love will guide
your thoughts and actions, especially in a political arena that at times can be
very contentious.
“Tensions can flare easily when discussing politics and
especially when discussing religious freedom. If we allow these moments to get
the better of us, we will appear very unchristian to our family, friends,
neighbors and acquaintances Remember how the Savior handled tough questions and
challenging viewpoints. He remained calm. He showed respect. He taught truth,
but never forced anyone to live the way he taught.
“Second, let
fairness guide your treatment of others. Jesus Christ looked past people’s
ethnicity, race and circumstances in order to teach them simple truth. The
Samaritan woman at the well, the Roman centurion, the unpopular publican.
“He has commanded us to follow his example, saying ‘Ye
shall observe to do the things which you have seen me do. “Do not judge people
or treat them differently because they sin differently than you or we do.
Perhaps the greatest challenge in treating others fairly is in the balance required
in supporting religious freedom when you have friends or family members who
experience same-sex attraction or are firm supporters of their rights. Some of
you worry that you will appear intolerant and unsupportive if you seek
protections to exercise your faith publicly and freely.
“Again, study the life of our Savior and seek his
guidance. The Savior demonstrated perfectly how to reach out in love and
encouragement while also holding firm to what he knew to be true. Remember when
the woman was caught in adultery? He asked for anyone without sin to step
forward and to be the first to condemn her. When no one approached our Savior
who was without sin, he commented, ‘Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no
more.’
“The forgiveness and kindness he showed her did not
contradict his teachings that sexual intimacy is meant for a husband and a wife
who are legally and lawfully married. You too can be unyielding in right and
truth yet still reach out in kindness. When Christ’s friends and followers
ended their relationship with Him, He expressed sadness and pain. However when
a relationship did end, it was because they were uncomfortable with his
teachings, not because he was uncomfortable with them.
“As we seek to treat others fairly, we must remember the
principle of agency. We must always respect the ability of others to make
choices and ask that they extend to us the same courtesy. When talking with
others about religious freedom we must always remember that we can disagree
without becoming disagreeable. Please do not shy away from a dialogue regarding
these important issues simply because you are worried that it might be
difficult or uncomfortable. We can pray for help and we can expect that the
Savior can help us act and speak in a way that is pleasing to Him.
“Third, I would
encourage you to stand up for fairness if you see another’s rights being
impeded… From the time of Joseph Smith to our present day, our legacy is
reaching out to heal breaches and hurt without compromising the doctrine. That
is not ours to trade away.”
Elder Rasband concluded with an appeal to the rising
generation.
“I stand with the
leaders of our Lord’s church when I say that we need your generation’s natural
understanding of compassion, of respect and fairness. We need your
optimism and your determination to work through these complex social issues.
“We have faith that you will turn to the
Savior to understand how to live a Christ-like life when also showing fairness
and love to others who do not share your beliefs. We know you want to be part
of something meaningful and we know that you are resilient and collaborative.
“Most importantly, we need you to engage
regarding the complexities of this issue and find solutions for how to best
extend fairness to everyone including people of faith.
“These conversations need to be occurring in
our schools, perhaps right here at Brigham Young University, in our homes, and
in relationships with friends and co-workers. When you have these
conversations, please remember the principle that we have discussed today which
are simply these:
“See others through a lens of fairness. Treat
them with respect and kindness and expect the same treatment in return.”
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