MANILA, Philippines – A Christian leader challenged the idea that religion causes most of the world’s conflicts, and proposed the “opposite thesis” that religion, when protected by law, is “a key source of peace” in the world. 

“Religious power for good is diminished where religious freedom is weak. It is enhanced where freedom of religion or belief is strong,” said Elder Patrick Kearon, a global leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at a whole-day conference on Thursday, August 22. 

“Freedom of religion and belief enhances protection of other freedoms which have been shown to promote the common good and social welfare,” he added. “Religious freedom erects an effective shield for other freedoms.”

Kearon, an English-born Christian leader who was visiting Manila, spoke in defense of religious freedom at the International Forum on Law and Religion hosted by the University of the Philippines Bonifacio Global City.

The 63-year-old Kearon is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ, a Christian group commonly known as the Mormon Church although they stopped using this name in 2018. He has belonged to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the church’s second-highest leadership body, since December 2023. 

The Church of Jesus Christ estimates nearly 868,000 members in the Philippines, a country where 85.65 million people or nearly 79% of the population belong to the Roman Catholic Church.

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In his speech, Kearon acknowledged the “common idea” that religion has caused much conflict. “It’s true, both historically and relatively recently, that some have stoked the fires of war with pretended religious ideology.”

The Christian leader, however, outlined ways by which religion brings value to believers and the world at large. 

Religion, he said, “can provide solace in times of tragedy” and “can be a source of meaning in our lives, providing reasons to get up day after day.” It can also “provide a source of community and friendship, including friendships that might run deeper than those formed at the gym or local chess club.” 

“Some people think that religion breeds ignorance, but my experience is that, for many devoted people of faith, it does the opposite. It stirs hearts and minds to a state of wonder and curiosity about the world around us, prompting us to explore life beyond our little sphere,” he said, adding that religion then “becomes a great motivating source for education and self-improvement.”

In this context, according to Kearon, “there is much at stake when religion and faith are jeopardized whether by law or by the mob.”

Kearon was making an eight-day trip to the Philippines that included a courtesy call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a meeting with Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, and a visit to Latter-day Saints in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte.

At the same UP forum where Kearon spoke, Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy president Amina Rasul-Bernardo also said that religious freedom “can serve as a powerful force for peace in our world.”

“Religious freedom is more than the right to worship freely. It is the right to live one’s beliefs without fear of persecution, to express one’s faith openly, and to participate in a society that respects and protects diverse religious views,” Bernardo said.

Bernardo said the Philippines provides a good example of upholding religious freedom through the government’s peace process with Moro rebels in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao.

“From Christianity to Islam, to the indigenous peoples’ cultures, the Philippines has demonstrated that religious freedom can coexist with national unity,” Bernardo said.

“The peace process that we have had in Mindanao successfully, though fraught with challenges, stands as a testament to how dialogue and respect for religious diversity and cultural diversity can transform long-standing conflicts into opportunities for reconciliation and lasting peace,” she added. – Rappler.com