Berkley Center

Religious Freedom Project Director Thomas Farr explains in a recent interview with Columbia magazine that international religious freedom is in a moment of "global crisis" and that it is imperative that the United States stand up for this "first freedom" around the world. According to Farr, stable, democratic, pluralistic societies are impossible to realize without respect for religious freedom. Arguments that counter or de-emphasize the importance of religious freedom are coming both from certain religious groups and from secular governments; though Farr acknowledges that "some religious ideas are a cause of terrorism," he adamantly supports religious freedom as the antidote to religious extremism. Ultimately, Farr encourages Knights of Columbus to speak out on their beliefs "in a reasonable, persuasive and charitable way" and to vote for candidates who will support the "vital issue" of religious freedom.