FREEDOM TO BELIEVE
The Seventh-day Adventist church strongly
believes in religious freedom for all people.
A person’s conscience, not government,
should dictate his or her choice to
worship—or not.
We have advocated for these goals for more than
100 years, through our department of Public Affairs
and Religious Liberty (PARL), to governments and
religious and international organizations.
This advocacy takes many forms—fighting against
laws that would inhibit an individual’s religious freedoms,
working to obtain the release of individuals
imprisoned for religious reasons and supporting the
rights of individuals fired from their jobs for following
their conscience, to name a few.
As the official voice of the Adventist Church on
matters of religious freedom and human rights, PARL
maintains offices in Washington, D.C. to allow for
convenient access to the U.S. Congress; New York
City, to liaise with the United Nations; and at the
church’s world headquarters in Silver Spring, MD.
PARL also sponsors the International Religious
Liberty Association (IRLA) on behalf of the Adventist
Church. IRLA is a non-sectarian organization supporting
religious freedom around the world.
The first organization of its kind, IRLA brings
together representatives of many faiths—including
Catholics, Baptists, Muslims, Jews, Mormons,
Buddhists and others—to support religious liberty.
PARL and IRLA promote this vital cooperation
through conferences, religious liberty festivals and
other events, collectively raising awareness and
educating government officials around the world.
This priority is vital to the Seventh-day Adventist
Church. While we are a rapidly growing denomination
around the world, the church often finds itself in
the religious minority, and consequently, understands
the importance of ensuring that all voices be allowed
to speak.
The Adventist Church believes that fighting religious
oppression and defending an individual’s right to worship
according to his or her conscience—regardless
of that person’s religious affiliation—is in everyone’s
best interest.
Your Religious Liberty Offering, today, will sponsor
Liberty Magazine subscriptions to high level government
officials, federal, state and provincial judges, and
prominent social & religious leaders throughout North
America. Your generous gift will also be used to support
the North American Division litigation fund – resources
needed to defend and preserve your religious liberty in
court when necessary. A portion is returned to your local
union to aid in religious liberty promotion & education.
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