Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'Religious Persecution'

February 01, 2013

The Edict of Milan in the History of Liberty

This month marks the 1,700th anniversary of the Edict of Milan. While much debate surrounds the relationship of Church and state in Christian Rome, even key figures like the Emperor Constantine (traditionally considered a saint by both East and West), the Edict of Milan is something that anyone who values liberty, religious liberty in particular, ought to commemorate as a monumental achievement. Continue Reading...
September 26, 2012

EU’s Highest Court Rules in Favor of Religious Refugees

The European Court of Justice has ruled that those who are unable to practice their religion openly are entitled to claim asylum on the continent: In what could prove a landmark ruling for oppressed Christians, the European Court of Justice has ruled that people who are persecuted in their native countries due to their religion have the right to apply for asylum in Europe. Continue Reading...
September 25, 2012

Samuel Gregg on the Vatican’s Role in Global Diplomacy

World Politics Review recently interviewed Acton Research Director Samuel Gregg about the Vatican’s foreign policymaking: WPR: What are the main policy initiatives that the Vatican is currently promoting on the international stage, and how receptive are other nations to its interests? Continue Reading...
September 20, 2012

Why Religious Liberty Should Be the Moral Center for American Diplomacy

In his magisterial work on the twentieth century, Modern Times, historian Paul Johnson highlights how in the 1920s Germany transformed from being “exceptionally law-abiding into an exceptionally violent society.” A key factor, according to Johnson, was an erosion of the rule of law and partisan acceptance of political violence against groups disdained by the State. Continue Reading...
June 08, 2012

Review: Can One Kill ‘For Greater Glory’?

Immediately after watching For Greater Glory, I found myself struggling to appreciate the myriad good intentions, talents and the $40 million that went into making it. Unlike the Cristeros who fought against the Mexican government, however, my efforts ultimately were unsuccessful. Continue Reading...
April 10, 2012

The Global Assault on Religious Liberty

Despite the rise of globalization and democracy, violent persecution of Christians, Jews, and other religious minorities is still shockingly common in many parts of the world. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has released its latest survey of religious freedom and as Doug Bandow reports, it makes for grim reading: Continue Reading...
November 04, 2011

Orthodox-Catholic Statement on ‘Arab Spring’

A round up of news: Statement of the North American Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation October 29, 2011 Washington, DC The Plight of Churches in the Middle East The “Arab Spring” is unleashing forces that are having a devastating effect on the Christian communities of the Middle East. Continue Reading...
October 14, 2011

Samuel Gregg: Religious Freedom and the Arab Spring

Acton’s director of research Samuel Gregg tackles the question of religious liberty in Islamic states this morning, over at The American Spectator. In a piece titled “The Arab Spring’s Forgotten Freedom,” Gregg describes the tensions between Christians seeking religious freedom in the Middle East and the Islamic states they inhabit, and then looks hopefully to the source of a resolution. Continue Reading...
October 13, 2011

Freedom in a Land without Churches?

There are no more Christian churches in Afghanistan — not a single public house of Christian worship is left standing. In other news, NATO success against the Taliban may have been intentionally exaggerated, although we already knew that progress in that country is… slow. Continue Reading...