News Story

Canadian Delegates Participate in BYU Symposium on Religious Freedom

The International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) at Brigham Young University (owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) hosted its 24th Annual International Law and Religion Symposium October 1–3, 2017, at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The symposium brought together 98 delegates from 49 countries to discuss “Religion and Religious Freedom in a Changing World.” Sub-themes for the conference were “Religion and Security,” “Religion and Pluralism” and “Religion and the Rule of Law.”

Canadian delegates included:

  • Dr. Andrew Bennett, senior fellow and chair, Cabinet of Canadians, Cardus Law; former ambassador of religious freedom
  • John Carpay, president, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms
  • Professor Daniel Cere, School of Religious Studies, McGill University (Montreal)
  • Professor Diana Ginn, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University (Halifax)
  • Professor Victor M. Muñiz-Fraticelli, associate professor of law and political science, Department of Political Science and Faculty of Law, McGill University (Montreal)

Since 1994 the International Center for Law and Religion Studies has hosted a symposium devoted to the discussion of law and religion. Invited delegates include religious and civic leaders, legal scholars, members of the judiciary, representatives of governments, non-governmental organizations and the media. To date, more than 1,200 delegates from 125 countries have met together to discuss principles of religious liberty and to explore mechanisms to better implement these principles.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a firm commitment to religious freedom. Elder D. Todd Christofferson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church, has stated, “A robust [religious] freedom is … the freedom to live one’s religion or belief in a legal, political, and social environment that is tolerant, respectful, and accommodating of diverse beliefs” (“A Celebration of Religious Freedom,” interfaith address given in Säo Paulo Brazil, Apr. 29, 2015).

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