Institutional religious freedom is not absolute, but what kind of specific rights or exemptions should exist?
Senior Lecturer Dr Alex Deagon contends that the religious freedom of institutions is a cornerstone of democracy and must be protected, and he discusses this in a blog published as part of a ‘Real-World Approaches: Freedom of Religion or Belief’ series on the ‘Religion and Global Society’ blog for the London School of Economics.
Far from being a threat to liberal democratic states, Alex argues that protecting religious associations preserves the development of the structures, processes and content necessary for the progress of democracy.
Alex explains that “democracy requires the nurture of diverse voices that inform public understanding of human advancement and the common good, and it is precisely within such faith and other communities that people can develop, nourish and deploy their voice.”
“Religious institutions need the space to independently form and develop unique perspectives which they can contribute to public discourse.”
You can read Alex’s blog post, The Democratic Imperative: On the Necessity and Means of Protecting Institutional Religious Freedom, on the Religion and Global Society blog.
About Alex Deagon
Alex’s expertise includes theories of law, law and theology, and freedom of religion, and his research has been published in many prestigious national and international journals.
You can learn more about Alex and his research and publications in his staff profile.
