RESPONSES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION OFFICE OF
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
TO THE QUESTIONS FOR CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS
"Tolerance and respect: preventing and combating anti-Semitic
and anti-Muslim hatred in Europe"
Annual Colloquium on Fundamental Rights
1-2 October 2015
European Union Office of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Avenue des Arts 19
1210 Brussels
Belgium
Contact Person:
Francesco Di Lillo
Head of Office
Phone: +32 2 214 2091
Email: [email protected]
Preliminary
The EU Office is fully committed to the promotion of freedom of conscience, religion and
belief as part of its central mission. As part of this mission, the EU Office respectfully refers
the Commission to the website of the EU Office’s sponsoring Church, The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, (“the Church”) that is dedicated as a resource on these issues:
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/official-statement/religious-freedom
4.
Which measures do you think would be most effective in tackling the
issue of hate speech, including online, with a particular focus on expressions
of anti-Semitism and islamophobia?

The moral basis of civility is the Golden Rule, taught by a broad range of cultures and
individuals, perhaps most popularly by Jesus Christ: “And as ye would that men
should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31). This ethic of reciprocity
reminds us all of our responsibility toward one another and reinforces the communal
nature of human life.1

During a news conference on religious freedom and non-discrimination, Elder Jeffrey
R. Holland said: “We must find ways to show respect for others whose beliefs, values
and behaviours differ from ours while never being forced to deny or abandon our
own beliefs, values and behaviours in the process. Every citizen’s rights are best
guarded when each person and group guards for others those rights they wish
guarded for themselves.”2
1
“The Restoration of Morality and Religious Freedom,” Elder Quentin L. Cook, BYU Idaho Commencement, 16
December 2011, see http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/the-restoration-of-morality-and-religiousfreedom
2
“Transcript of News Conference on Religious Freedom and Non-discrimination,” see
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/publicstatement-on-religious-freedom-and-nondiscrimination
2

In his address delivered at Utah Valley University's Constitutional Symposium on
Religious Freedom on 16 April 2014, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: “European lawmakers
are struggling to balance these competing interests without diminishing free speech
or diluting the freedom of religion. It is a daunting effort that might perhaps be
avoided by following the ancient wisdom that it is easier to make friends than to
make laws. With patience and mutual understanding, most such issues can be
resolved by appealing to each side to tone down their rhetoric and their responses.
From the standpoint of religion, it will often be better to forego legal remedies
against persons who insult the faith rather than to weaken the freedoms of speech
and press that should be more important in the long run as means to promulgate
and defend the faith.”3
6.
What would be the most effective avenues of co-operation to ensure
greater effectiveness in preventing and combating anti-Semitic and antiMuslim discrimination and hatred (i.e. in the area of investigation,
prosecution, data collection, victims’ reporting and support, etc.)? What
would be the role of civil society and national and local authorities and
communities?

Churches, charities, associations, clubs and other non-profit organizations —
separate from government and business — form a crucial part of the voluntary
sphere of life. It’s called a civil society and does a lot of the heavy lifting in
communities. Everyone can participate in this partnership.

Religion is often the first caretaker and teacher in a person’s life. Who but a church
walks every step of the way to welcome a child into the world, impart principles of
right and wrong, nurture social obligation, solemnize intimate relationships, make
meaning of death, and perpetuate a communal ethos to the next generation? One
3
“Hope for the Years Ahead,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks, see http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/transcriptelder-dallin-oaks-constitutional-symposium-religious-freedom.
3
leader of philanthropy said of her Mormon religion: “You cannot be a member of this
Church very long without learning leadership, public speaking, decision making,
persuasive discussion, budgeting, nutrition, influence, watch-care, going into
somebody’s house, literacy, research, resource development, gardening, food
preservation, immunizations — it just goes on and on.”4 Multiply this by even a small
percentage of believers, and the influence for good steadily compounds.

But don’t forget the “other.” One of the great tests of a civil society is to include the
unpopular, the disenfranchised, those who look or act differently. This inclusive
approach requires hard work; only respectful dialogue and constructive
conversations can realize the common good. The alternative to civil society is
atomization, where people drift into islands of their own interests and concerns.
That route is too easy. The call of civilization is to engage, not buffer.5
8.
What are the main gaps and obstacles (legislative, political,
administrative, or financial) to fill at national/local level to counter
discrimination based on religion, belief and/or ethnic origin in practice? How
can such gaps be tackled at EU level?

Protections afforded to freedom of religion and belief are often weak, unheeded,
and attacked. Powerful pressures attempt to restrain religious freedom even as it
grows—and even in countries that historically protected it most vigorously. These
pressures have the upper hand or are gaining ground in many countries. In, 2013,
roughly 5.5 billion people—77 percent of the world’s population—lived in countries
with high or very high restrictions on religious liberty, up from 68 percent just six
4
Sharon Eubank, “This Is a Woman’s Church,” FairMormon, Aug. 8, 2014.
5
“Civil Society and the Church,” see http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/civil-society-church.
4
years earlier.6 Virtually all Western democracies claim to believe in the principle of
religious freedom. It is the application of the principle that can create controversy.
Threats to religious freedom typically arise when religious people and institutions
seek to say or do something—or refuse to say or do something—that runs counter to
the philosophy or goals of those in power, including political majorities. Religion is
often countercultural and thus unpopular. For this reason, religious freedom, even
where it is generally supported in principle, is often vigorously opposed in practice. 7
In many places around the world, laws and social circumstances hamper the
conscience of individuals and faith communities. More than three-quarters of the
world’s population, according to the Pew Research Center, live in nations with
religious restrictions.8 9

Peaceful societies are more likely when the expression of religious beliefs is
protected and everyone’s voice is heard. Studies show that protecting the varieties
of spiritual experience correlates strongly with greater civil and political liberties,
greater press and economic freedoms, fewer armed conflicts, better health
outcomes, higher levels of income, better education for women and higher overall
human development.10 11
6
See Pew Research Center, “Latest Trends in Religious Restrictions and Hostilities,” Feb. 26, 2015,
pewforum.org/2015/02/26/religious-hostilities.
7
“A Celebration of Religious Freedom,” Elder D. Todd Christofferson, see
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/a-celebration-of-religious-freedom.
8
“Citizenship and Conscience,” see http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/citizenship-and-conscience.
9
Pew Research Center, “Latest Trends in Religious Restrictions and Hostilities,” Feb. 26, 2015.
10
“Citizenship and Conscience.”
11
See Brian J. Grim and Roger Finke, The Price of Freedom Denied (2011), 206.
5
9.
What role could leaders, including religious and community leaders,
play in proposing social representations and a narrative which are inclusive,
based on common values and mutual understanding? Which are the most
effective practices taken that have effectively evidenced a positive impact
and a potential for replication, in particular at local level and amongst and by
young people? What could be the role of the media in this respect?

“Religious persons should insist on their constitutional right and duty to exercise
their religion, to vote their consciences on public issues, and to participate in
elections and in debates in the public square and the halls of justice. These are the
rights of all citizens and they are also the rights of religious leaders and religious
organizations. It is imperative that those of us who believe in God and in the reality
of right and wrong unite more effectively to protect our religious freedom to preach
and practice our faith in God and the principles of right and wrong He has
established. This proposal that we unite more effectively does not require any
examination of the doctrinal differences among Christians, Jews, and Muslims, or
even an identification of the many common elements of our beliefs. All that is
necessary for unity and a broad coalition along the lines I am suggesting is a common
belief that there is a right and wrong in human behaviour that has been established
by a Supreme Being. All who believe in that fundamental should unite more
effectively to preserve and strengthen the freedom to advocate and practice our
religious beliefs, whatever they are. We must walk together for a ways on the same
path in order to secure our freedom to pursue our separate ways when that is
necessary according to our own beliefs.”12

Religion and government cannot ignore each other, nor need they be enemies. The
spheres of spirituality and law differ, but they cooperate best when freedom of
conscience and the common good make space one for another. The Church of Jesus
12
“Preserving Religious Freedom,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks, speech given at Chapman University School of Law on
4 February 2011. Transcript available here: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/elder-oaks-religiousfreedom-Chapman-University.
6
Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches, “no government can exist in peace, except such
laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise
of conscience.”13 Obedience to law and the free exercise of conscience — two
powerful prerogatives — have little option but to get along. The spiritual ideal of a
church spreads far beyond its spires. For the most part, religious people see
themselves as part of a larger society and aspire to help it. They volunteer in the
institutions of civil society such as charities, schools, associations and clubs. They
serve the needy in shelters, soup kitchens and hospitals. They study the issues and
vote for honest candidates. They speak as eagerly as they listen, critique as well as
solve.14

Wherever they live, Latter-day Saints have the responsibility and privilege to make
their corner of the globe a better place. They act in hope that the demands of
citizenship and conscience will be weighed in balance and peace.15

The Church has partnered with Faith Counts, an organization comprised of faith
communities representing over 100 million Americans16. Launched in October 2014,
its website (FaithCounts.net) includes videos and social media memes aimed at
telling powerful stories about how faith inspires, empowers, motivates and comforts
billions of people.17 Students at Brigham Young University are among those
13
Doctrine and Covenants 134:2.
14
“Citizenship and Conscience.”
15
“Citizenship and Conscience.”
16
Current Faith Counts partners include: Hillel International, The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Ad Hoc
Committee For Religious Liberty, The Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sikh American Legal Defense and
Education Fund, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Franciscan University of Steubenville, 1st
Amendment Partnership.
17
“Church Partners With Other Faith Communities in “Faith Counts”
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-partners-faith-counts-initiative.
7
Initiative,”
see
collaborating on content and have been involved in the Faith Counts video
production.18

Recognizing the ever-growing importance of social media, senior leaders of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have repeatedly encouraged members,
especially youth, to a responsible use of social media. Recently, Elder David A.
Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, counselled that as we engage with
social media, “we and our messages should seek to edify and uplift rather than to
argue, debate, condemn, or belittle.”19 These counsels have turned into a social
media campaign, #ShareGoodness,20 to share simple messages of goodness.
11. How could the society adjust to an increasing diversity? What is the
society at large ready to accommodate for a better "living together"?

Wouldn’t life be easier if everyone were the same? Think of the conflicts we could
avoid if we all wanted the same things, voted the same way and went to the same
church. The trouble is, however, that such a world doesn’t exist. The temptation to
form everyone “from a single mold,” said Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counsellor in
the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “would
contradict the genius of God, who created every man different.”21 Societies are full
of interest groups, political camps, cultural factions and religious organizations
advancing their own vision of the good. And when we all have our own say,
18
“Multi-faith Initiative Viewed by Millions,” see http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/multi-faithinitiative-viewed-by-millions.
19
“To Sweep the Earth as with a Flood,” see https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-theworld/to-sweep-the-earth-as-with-a-flood.
20
See https://www.lds.org/church/share/goodness.
21
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Four Titles,” Apr. 2013 General Conference.
8
communities are better for it. As long as they harm or coerce no one, our differences
can enrich our common existence.

Political scientist Samuel Huntington said that of all the elements that define
civilizations, “the most important usually is religion.”22 So it’s no surprise that
religious difference lays at the root of many conflicts in the world. But the solution is
to let differences flourish, not to stifle them. Studies show that protecting the
varieties of religious experience correlates strongly with greater civil and political
liberties, greater press and economic freedoms, fewer armed conflicts, better health
outcomes, higher levels of income, better education for women and higher overall
human development.23 In short, religious pluralism frees up room to live life.24

We might not have the answer as per what the society at large is ready to
accommodate for a better "living together," but our disagreements, one
commentator wrote, should not have to be “pitted against each other in a battle to
the death.”25 Diversity makes life harder, for sure, but also more worth living. Fears
of our differences often threaten us more than the actual differences.26
Brussels, 31 May 2015
Francesco Di Lillo
Head of Office
22
Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (1996), 42.
23
See Brian J. Grim, Roger Finke, The Price of Freedom Denied (2011), 206.
24
“Difference and Dignity,” see http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/difference-and-dignity.
25
Ross Douthat, “A Company Liberals Could Love,” New York Times, July 5, 2014.
26
“Difference and Dignity.”
9