In this video, Pastor Ted Wilson will talk about one cause of suffering around the world: religious persecution. How can Adventists promote religious freedom around the world? There are millions of people who are suffering around the world, often from causes that receive very little or no attention in the news. One such cause is religious persecution. Millions of people around the world are suffering for their faith. This suffering is experienced at various levels in different places, ranging from discrimination and harassment, to imprisonment, torture, and even death.
As Seventh-day Adventists, we believe in the dignity of all human beings, and in their God-given right to express their faith according to each individual’s conscience, and we stand in solidarity with our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. Adventists have been involved in religious liberty advocacy since the early days of this movement and have established the world’s oldest religious freedom organization—The International Religious Liberty Association. We also have representatives at the highest level of government, seeking to encourage leaders to embrace a world view that promotes religious liberty for all.
Why do we do this? And what unique contribution can we make as Seventh-day Adventists to help foster tolerance and religious freedom around the world?
Our view of God as the Creator gives us very important insights into the dignity of all human beings and provides a basis for religious liberty. When we view other human beings through a biblical perspective—as human beings created by God Himself, it helps us to see them with dignity, as multi-dimensional individuals created in the image of God. Christ Himself, while on Earth, related to all human beings in this way—from the lowest to the highest—all were treated with respect. And it is this viewpoint, this understanding, that as a Church we seek to promote throughout the world, encouraging religious liberty, religious freedom for all to worship according to their conscience.
Every year on the third Sabbath in January, Seventh-day Adventists around the world take time to remember the God-given gift of religious freedom. On Religious Liberty Sabbath we take time as a world church to pray for the many millions of men, women, and children who continue to suffer harassment, discrimination, imprisonment or physical harm because they choose faithfulness to God, no matter what.
Make religious liberty a special part of your program this Sabbath. Through our prayers, we can support our brothers and sisters around the world, and we can express our support for freedom for all people, no matter what their faith.
For more information about Religious Liberty Sabbath, visit www.adventistliberty.org/religious-liberty-sabbath
