President Dallin H. Oaks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speaks on religious freedom and nondiscrimination in giving the 2021 Joseph Smith Lecture on Religious Liberty at the University of Virginia. (Republished with permission.) (Link to transcript below.)
As host David Risley says in the introduction to this episode, "I worry that freedom of religion is getting a bad name, coming to be regarded by many as little more than a claimed justification for discrimination against disfavored groups, sometimes even those with differing religious beliefs and beliefs about religion."
This episode is different than most because it features a prerecorded lecture, rather than a live guest. The lecture is far more dense with substance and value than could be packed into a conversation. It is foundational to discourse on this topic and will be a point of reference in future discussions on religious freedom.
The speaker, Dallin H. Oaks, is formerly a law professor at the University of Chicago Law School, former President of Brigham Young University and Utah Supreme Court Justice, now President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. President Oaks has become a widely recognized voice of reason on the subject of freedom of religion.
Link to transcript: https://mormonst.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/2021-JSL-Transcript.pdf
University of Virginia 2021 Joseph Smith Lecture on Religious Freedom: https://mormonstudies.as.virginia.edu/event/dallin-h-oaks-going-forward-with-religious-freedom-nondiscrimination/
God Unites website: https://GodUnites.com
What is God Unites?
In a world of contention and division - regarding politics, power, and even religion - the spirit of God unites.
God Unites is an interfaith audio and video podcast program fostering "Spiritual Unity in Religious Diversity" through sharing stories of faith journeys and conversations and commentary about topics of common interest.
Topics include freedom of religion, strengthening families, worship practices, justice and forgiveness, and the reality of God and God's workings in our lives and in the world today.
The program's founder and host is David Risley, a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches the spiritual kinship of all people as children of God and the foundational importance of freedom of religion and respect for those of other faiths.
The perspective of this program is illustrated in its logo, featuring overlapping circles symbolizing diversity of religions and faith traditions, each with unique characteristics, and yet a common core of spiritual kinship centered on God.
As we each tune into the spirit of God, God unites us in our diversity into a heavenly harmony.
As we draw closer to God, we draw closer to each other. And, as we draw closer to each other, we draw closer to God.