FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE: FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, EDUCATION AND LASTING PEACE FROM AN EVANGELICAL PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19478496Keywords:
Bible, Education, Freedom of Conscience, Human Rights, Lasting PeaceAbstract
Freedom of Conscience: Foundation for Human Rights, Education, and Lasting Peace from an Evangelical Perspective.
In a world increasingly characterized by pluralism, rapid social change, and persistent conflict, the value of freedom of conscience stands as a universal moral and legal imperative. Freedom of conscience, defined as the internal liberty to form beliefs, moral judgments, and ethical values without external coercion, is not only a personal right but also a cornerstone of democratic societies. It underpins the broader architecture of human rights, empowers meaningful and transformative education, and fosters the essential conditions for lasting peace. The interdependence of these pillars, freedom of conscience, human rights, education, and peace, reveals a foundational truth: that peaceful, just, and inclusive societies cannot be realized without a deep and abiding respect for the sanctity of individual conscience.
References
• *** The Bible, New International Version (1991). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
• BIELEFELDT, H. (2013). Freedom of religion or belief: Thematic reports of the UN Special Rapporteur, 2010–2011. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
• FINNIS, John (2011). Natural Law and Natural Rights. Oxford, U.K.: Clarendon Press.
• GALTUNG, J. (1969).“ Violence, Peace, and Peace Research”. Journal of Peace Research, 6(3), 167–191. https://doi.org/10.1177/002234336900600301
• GUINNESS, Os (2013). The Global Public Square: Religious Freedom and the Making of a World Safe for Diversity. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
• KANT, I. (1996). Groundwork of the metaphysics of morals (M. Gregor, Trans.). Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1785)
• LOCKE, J. (1983). A letter concerning toleration ( J. H. Tully, Ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company. (Original work published 1689)
• MCCARTNEY, Paul T. (2017). The Limits of Conscience: Human Rights and Religious Liberty. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press.
• MOHLER, R. A. (2015). We cannot be silent: Speaking truth to a culture redefining sex, marriage, and the very meaning of right and wrong. Charlotte, NC: Thomas Nelson.
• MURZA, O. (2021). „Libertatea de exprimare și acțiune ca parte a naturii umane în relațiile cu Dumnezeu și cu semenii.” In Jurnalul Libertății de Conștiință, Les Arcs, Editions IARSIC, Vol. 9, Nr. 1.
• NUSSBAUM, M. C. (2011). Liberty of conscience: In defense of America’s tradition of religious equality. New York, NY: Basic Books.
• O’DONOVAN, Oliver (1994). Resurrection and Moral Order: An Outline for Evangelical Ethics. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
• PACKER, J.I. (1990). A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
• RAWLS, J. (1993). Political liberalism. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
• ROTARU, Ioan-Gheorghe (2023). “A look at how the concept of human rights has evolved over time”. Journal for Freedom of Conscience ( Jurnalul Libertății de Conștiință), Vol. 11, No. 2, pp.825-874. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10557901.
• RUSU, I.. (2022). „Pacea și drepturile omului”. In Jurnalul Libertății de Conștiință, Vol. 10, Nr. 3, Editions IARSIC, Les Arcs, France, pp. 417-430.
• SEN, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
• SWANSON, James (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
• TAYLOR, C. (2011). The ethics of authenticity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
• UNESCO. (2015). Global citizenship education: Topics and learning objectives. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000232993
• USACHE, Liviu (2015). “Omul si libertatea de alegere”, in Libertate si Moralitate—repere ale demnitatii umane, ed. Ioan-Gheorghe Rotaru, Stefan Mateas, Editura Napoca Star, Cluj- Napoca, p.80.
International legal instruments:
• Amnesty International. (2021). Annual report: The state of the world’s human rights. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/3202/2021/en/
• Council of Europe. (2011). Resolution 1763 (2010): The right to conscientious objection in lawful medical care. https://assembly.coe.int
• Human Rights Watch. (2020). Education under attack: The global impact of attacks on education. https://www.hrw.org/
• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (1966). United Nations Treaty Series, Vol. 999, p. 171. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights
• United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights
