Freedom of religion is an absolute necessity in ensuring true liberty. The world’s religions have a vital role to play in bringing about this transformation of consciousness.
– Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, Global Peace Convention 2021

In our modern world, we have become so accustomed to religious freedom to the point that we often forget why it is so essential to peace and human flourishing. Thankfully, America was – by design – a society that allowed people of different religions to believe and practice their faith without interference from the government.

The American Founding Fathers understood that this was a dangerous experiment. Yet, they intentionally chose to protect religious freedom as an integral part of the design of the new nation. Essentially, they institutionalized what had already happened in the early colonial days and made a governmental structure that allowed communities to choose their religious faith and practices. The confidence to do this was primarily rooted in an enormous faith in God, the Creator, and His design of the universe.

Rather than restricting religious beliefs and forcing citizens to believe in one religion, the United States chartered a new course in human history. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon writes in Korean Dream that the Declaration of Independence “advocated the theory of natural rights: the notion that fundamental human rights and freedoms are bestowed, not by the state or monarch, but directly to the people by the Creator, and the purpose of government was to ensure the protection of those rights. Thus, each person has intrinsic value that comes from the Creator and is the basis for the essential dignity of each person and the rights that such dignity naturally entails. It was truly a birth of an enlightened concept of liberty and human rights that pointed the way forward to our modern concept of universal human rights and freedoms.”

Religion has long been one of the reasons for much of the conflict in the world – but through its nearly 250 years, America has modeled not only the feasibility but the desirability of religious freedom. In America, the idea of “One Nation Under God” led to greater peace and material prosperity as individuals were given the ability to live out their faith and their dreams. In the Foreword to the Korean Dream book, Dr. Edwin J. Feulner notes that the “bedrock of a successful civil society is belief in a divine being and that this belief forms the basis for principled human interaction.”

The religious diversity and the competition for believers in this new religious “marketplace” enriched the nation as each religious community sought, as part of their faith and practice, to better society around them. They did this by serving the less fortunate by building shelters, soup kitchens, and hospitals, educating the next generation through building schools and universities, and engaging in simple acts of service to aid whoever needed it most.

As opposed to European society of the time, the exceptional nature of this is captured in the writings of a French political scientist and writer, Alexis de Tocqueville, who marveled at the productivity and bustling voluntary associations of every need or interest. The social engagement of the faithful – of whatever religious tradition – was the external expression of spiritual principles. For example, loving God and neighbor and living a life rooted in truth and righteousness ultimately led to the Abolitionist and Civil Rights movements.

Today, the challenge looks different, but the call to create a better world for future generations based on universal principles and shared values remains the same. Dr. Hyun Jin Preston Moon, in his Global Peace Convention keynote speech on August 15, 2021, called on the faithful to lead this charge:

Just as it was people of faith that engendered the American experiment, it should be the faithful that leads the world to peace by advocating the vision of One Family under God. All religions should cooperate to build a world free of conflict, reflecting the highest spiritual ideals, rooted in universal principles and values that reflect God’s truth, righteousness, goodness, and love for all humanity. Only then could we harness the power of faith to truly transform the world and build true everlasting peace and harmony for all.

How will you take up this call in your community?

Many people know that the March 1st Korean Independence Movement was a peaceful civil society movement, but what most know much less about is what caused this three-month-long, peninsula-wide outpouring of public support from Koreans both at home and internationally. In fact, even while there was strong anti-colonial sentiment from the beginning of Japanese occupation of the peninsula, it was the violation of one of the most fundamental human right to freedom of conscience that became the catalyst for the movement in 1919.

Japan claimed Korea as a protectorate in 1905 then followed with a more formal annexation in 1910. With this, Japanese colonial authorities began a takeover of the basic land and labor of the country. While this had troubled many at the time, the corruption and ineptitude of the former governmental authorities of the flailing Chosun dynasty had made this change with little resistance from the populace.

It was in the face of a growing concern over a forced “Japanization” of the Korean people and culture, in particular the forced donations and worship at Japanese Shinto shrines and attempted erasure of Korean language, history and even surnames, that gave rise to what eventually culminated in the March 1st peaceful protests in 1919. The colonialist policies that posed a direct threat to the Korean people’s self-identity, beliefs and convictions had inadvertently created a platform from which Koreans of all backgrounds could come together to work for broader social change.

The importance of religious freedom can be seen throughout history. Time and time again, when this basic freedom is taken away from a group of people, civil society is unable to establish lasting peace and falls into chaos and rebellion.

It was no coincidence that most of the signatories of the Korean Declaration for Independence did so as representatives of different Korean faith communities. Even though these 33 courageous leaders from different religious backgrounds—Christian, Buddhist, Cheondogyo, etc.—they were each cognizant of the fact that there were fundamental human rights and values that they shared across faith traditions. It is this spirit of cross-community cooperation and social engagement that we seek to capture today in the “Korean Dream,” inspiring the movement of Action for Korea United (AKU).

By working across all lines of difference and protecting fundamental freedoms in pursuit of a peaceful, principled Korean reunification, we see hope for a Korea that can bring benefit to all humanity.

As we commemorate the March 1st movement today in 2020, it is worth remembering those who came together across religious divides to pursue a greater dream of a “free, independent and united” Korea.