Freedom of Conscience

Freedom of Conscience
Athens Discussions on Freedom of Conscience It was a huge privilege for EEA’s Socio-Political Team, Christel Lamère Ngnambi and Julia Doxat-Purser, to speak and mentor at the State of Europe Forum and Youth Forum last week in Athens. Each year, the Schuman Centre convenes Christian leaders from across Europe to come to consider the state of Europe and its future in the capital city of the nation currently holding the presidency of the European Union. All the discussions are earthed in the challenge that Robert Schuman gave and that Jacques Delors reiterated that, without a soul, Europe cannot survive. EEA staff gave participants a tour of the freedom of conscience issues around our continent and led discussion on how to promote understanding of and support for this human right which is foundational for every human being, whether “religious” or not. One of the ideas agreed by participants and then worked on in more depth by the next generation of leaders at the Youth Forum was that countries would celebrate an annual “Freedom of Conscience Day”.  This would be an opportunity for society, including school children, to consider why freedom of conscience is so important and what virtues are needed for people of different faiths, worldviews and lifestyles to live together with our deepest differences. As European Union nations prepare to vote in the European Parliament elections and we see the rising popularity of parties which express concern about people of different nationalities, faiths and/or ethnicities, we are reminded that Europe’s diversity is a reality but that future social cohesion is not guaranteed.  EEA urges Christians to pray and to engage in the political debate

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