The Vatican reported to the United Nations on the potential hostility towards religion with “some nations” seeing “religious pluralism as a threat.”
The Crux reports that the Vatican considers the world more connected and linked up, and that some nations view the increasing religious pluralism as a threat with failures to protect religious minorities and even some attempting to marginalize believers of all faiths (based on reportage from a Vatican representative).
Vatican representative Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic told the UN Human Rights Council that some organizations and agencies on the international scene consider religions at odds with their own agendas.
Jurkovic spoke on March 2 in Geneva to the UN agencies with an emphasis on freedom of belief and religion. Jurkovic made an open quotation of the Pope’s denouncing said international agencies and organizations who promote “modern forms of ideological colonization” in the front of human rights with imposed programs on poor nations.
Jurkovic opposed “freedom from religion” in reportage to the council by Ahmed Shaheed, who is the special rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief. He said the notion reveals a patronization of religion as whole.
He considers this to overlook the integral part religion plays in people’s lives throughout the world as well as the not seeing the wisdom traditions within religions. In the report, Jurkovic explained, “International human rights treaties are reticent on the sort of relationship a state should have with religion or belief. They do, however, impose a duty upon states to be impartial guarantors of the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief, including the right to freedom from religion, for all individuals and groups within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction.”
He went on to say that the respect for the deepest convictions of society’s individual members is an important part of human rights and an authentic culture. That it is part of a common good, where this can only be achieved through the inclusive dialogue and the seeking of the real meaning of rights and freedoms for each person. He sees this connected to religious experience.
Photo Credits: Paradise in the World
