RELIGIOUS FREEDOM | JANUARY 16, 2021

On Religious Freedom Day, Let’s Honor Each Other’s Beliefs

Buddhist monk — Photo by Sasin Tipchai/Pixabay

January 16 marks the celebration of Religious Freedom Day, a day that has been officially proclaimed by the President of the United States each year since 1993.

This day reminds us that the right to believe in what we choose is an inherent human right. Whether you’re a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist, a Sikh, a Scientologist, a Muslim or a member of any other faith, it is your right to practice that faith freely.

For that reason, we must never let religious discrimination go unchecked. That most vital of human rights could be lost if we let bigotry push any faith down. It took many years for religious freedom to be proclaimed as a human right and enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And unfortunately, it’s a right millions of people across the globe—whose beliefs are trampled on daily—tragically do not see in practice. To all those reading, please treat it as your duty to uphold this right and respect your fellow human being. Let us all work together to honor each other’s beliefs and carry this torch of religious freedom for future generations.

KEYWORDS

BIGOTRY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY

AUTHOR

Peter Alemis

Born in Chicago, Peter graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. in Economics. He worked in finance in New York City and Chicago. He is a second-generation Scientologist.

╳