From the Faith & Action Blog.

Your missionary to Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, Rob Schenck, reporting:

Been away for a while as we’ve re-tooled our IT platform. You may have noticed we launched a new website at www.faithandaction.org. It’s not complete, but we think it will be a lot easier for you to read—and a lot easier for our team to manage. Check it out and give us your ideas.

Speaking of ideas, yesterday I participated in a brainstorming session at the headquarters of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, or “USCIRF.” The agency, created by Congress in 1998, is charged with a two-fold purpose:

1) The annual and ongoing review of the facts and circumstances of violations of religious freedom presented in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the Annual Report, and the Executive Summary, as well as information from other sources as appropriate; and

(2) The making of policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress with respect to matters involving international religious freedom.

The Commission’s new executive director, James D. Standish, asked for leaders of various Christian groups to meet with him and Commission staff to give our input on how the Commission can better accomplish its goals. My suggestion was for Jim (as I know him), to do more with media. I told him I’d love to turn on the television, pick up a newspaper or bring up an article on the Internet and see another statement from USCIRF affirming religious freedom, exposing abuses and urging Americans to support efforts to expand religious freedom as a universal and fundamental human right. As I pointed out in the meeting, symbols are very important—especially for those of us in the world of religion. The Commission sports a magnificent seal, like so many official U.S. logos, with its rising eagle, patriotic blue background and moniker arrayed around the edges. That symbol in front of a podium alone can be used to keep religious freedom constantly in front of the American consciousness.

It was a worthwhile exercise and I look forward to more of them. As you may know, I serve on the board of a private organization doing great work in this field, the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, or IRPP. The IRPP, headed by my good friend of many years, Joseph Griebowski, can do many things USCIRF cannot or will not do because of its inherent political limitations.

You’ll hear a lot more form me on this paramount concern in the days ahead. I plan to give more of my time to advocating for religious freedom—here in our own country—and around the world. All other human freedoms mater little if we are denied this, the most deeply held, most enduring and most consequential freedom.

P.S. The freedom to embrace and worship God as conscience dictates is tied inseparably to the first of the two Great Commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” (Mark 12:37)

Back later . . .

Rev. Rob Schenck

Faith and Action

www.faithandaction.org
109 2nd St, NE
Washington, DC 20002