1997 NCC General Assembly, Nov. 11-14, 1997, Washington, D.C.

Selected Policy Basis for
Confronting Religious Persecution Abroad

RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Adopted by The General Board, October 5,1955:

Religious liberty and indeed religious faith are basic both historically and philosophically to all our liberties...

The National Council of Churches defends the rights and liberties of cultural, racial and religious minorities. The insecurity of one menaces the security of all. Christians must be especially sensitive to the oppression of minorities.

The exercise of both rights and liberties is subject to considerations of morality and to the maintenance of public order and of individual and collective security.

Religious and civil liberties are interdependent and therefore indivisible.

The National Council of Churches urges the churches because of their concern for all human welfare to resist every threat to freedom.

HUMAN RIGHTS, Adopted by the General Assembly,
December 6,1963, Reviewed and Reaffirmed in September 1979

Christians believe that man is made in the image of God, that every person is of intrinsic worth before God, and that every individual has a right to the fullest possible opportunities for the development of life abundant and eternal. Denials of rights and freedoms that inhere in man's worth before God are not simply a crime against humanity; they are a sin against God.

GENERAL RIGHTS DUE TO ALL PERSONS: General rights due to all persons because of their personal worth and inherent dignity include:

• Freedom of religion and conscience, embracing rights to hold and to change faith, to express it in worship and practice, to teach and persuade others by the sharing of viewpoints in mutual respect, and to conduct religious education of children.
• Freedom of peaceable association, assembly, and demonstration.
• Freedom to petition government for redress of grievances.
• Freedom from arbitrary arrest, arbitrary or secret imprisonment, police brutality, mob violence, intimidation, cruel or unusual punishment, and from any attempts to manipulate or tamper with human personality through drugs, hypnosis, isolation, duress, or other means of brainwashing.

POLITICAL AND CIVIC RIGHTS: The right to full participation of the person in political and civic life, including the opportunity:

• To vote by secret ballot, with alternative choices;
• To organize peaceful political activity;
• To be a candidate for public office;
• To participate in any branch of government; to serve without discrimination in the Armed Forces, or on grounds of conscience to be excused from such service;
• To receive such benefits of social welfare, health, community and other services as are provided by governments at all levels;
• To enjoy equality before the law, including protection by the police; the right of an accused person to a prompt, fair, and public trial; the right of counsel; the right to be confronted with written indictment, evidence, and witnesses against him; the right to present evidence and witnesses on his own behalf; and to cross examine other witnesses; the right to have the judgment of his actions depend on an evaluation of facts in the light of law, by due process such as by impartial judges or an impartial jury of his peers.

ECONOMIC RIGHTS: The right to participate in the economic life of the community, including the opportunity:

• To earn a standard of living adequate to promote the welfare and security of the individual and family; to work in decent and healthful conditions, and to have free choice of employment, for just compensation, with protection against unemployment;
• To receive, when absence of opportunity for work or other unavoidable causes prevent employment, a proper standard of relief payments from public sources;
• To obtain employment solely on the basis of ability and character;
• To acquire vocational, profession or job training or apprenticeship solely on the basis of ability and character;
• To receive equal pay for equal work,
• To gain promotion in employment in accord with ability, experience, and character;
• To own property;
• To engage in an individual business enterprise or a profession;
• To form voluntary economic organizations such as corporations, cooperatives, and labor unions;
• To engage in social action on economic issues.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS: The right to take part in the social and cultural life of the community, including the opportunity

• To have wholesome living space, necessary for the health and welfare of persons and families;
• To move within a country and to leave and return to one's country;
• To obtain education and training;
• To make use of cultural and recreational opportunities and facilities;
• To enjoy privacy, protected against invasion of personal or family life by unreasonable searches or seizures, such as wire-tapping, interception of mail, electronic eavesdropping, or other forcible or surreptitious interference;
• To enjoy freedom of association with other persons regardless of racial or other distinctions;
• To have access to social welfare, health and other community services;
• To share equally in the use of public transportation;
• To receive equal service from businesses and persons serving the public -- such as stores, theaters, hotels, and restaurants.

POLICY STATEMENT ON IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS,
Adopted by The General Board, May 14, 1981

... The NCCC shall, in these humanitarian endeavors, continue and strengthen:

• its cooperation with agencies of the United States' federal and state governments responsible for processing and relocating immigrants, refugees and migrants;
• its constant advocacy for just, humane and equitable policies of the United States government with regard to immigrants, refugees and migrants, and the protections of their rights...

... 3. The NCCC shall promote and encourage a United States' immigrant refugee and migrant admissions policy which in both principle and implementation is non-discriminatory with respect to:

• the elements of human equality contained in Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status; and;
• other elements of distinction such as: age, education, sexuality, physical or mental handicaps.

STATEMENT ON HUMAN RIGHTS: THE FULFILLMENT OF LIFE IN THE SOCIAL ORDER,
Adopted by the General Board, November 12, 1994

The General Board of the NCCC....

A. Reaffirms the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as elaborated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which in turn have been expanded on specifics, of women, religion, children, race, immigrants and refugees, torture and genocide as the essential minimum basic legal framework for its understanding of human rights, its freedoms and protections in the international arena...

C. Calls for interfaith dialogue on... patterns of interreligious intolerance and practices that lead to interfaith conflict.

D. Recommits itself to work with its member communions and world-wide ecumenical partners for the attainment and protection of human rights for all people through...

Support of the human rights and social development efforts of the United Nations, including: codification of human rights standards and law; establishment and strengthening of international instruments for their monitoring and implementation...

Advocacy with the administrative, legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government and its several states to enlist their full support and participation in the creation of that domestic and international context for the protection and extension of human rights...

Advocacy on behalf of those in the U.S. and around the world whose rights are being violated, including: response to appeals from our ecumenical partners in situations of political or religious oppression; response where religious freedom and liberty are threatened by practices and policies of state, where religious coercion exists, or where religious intolerance is prevalent...

Support of efforts in the U.S. and around the world to end the practices of prejudice and discrimination and intentional violence based upon religion, race, class, caste, age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical limitation...

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