The protection of religious freedom was the theme of speeches opening the 15th annual Law and Religion Symposium.

The history of religious freedom in China and the country's current state of religious freedom was the topic of Dr. Zhuo Xinping, director of the Institute of World Religions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who opened the symposium Sunday evening.

"Freedom of religious belief is a basic human right of all citizens and this basic right should be protected in the spirit of the constitution," Xingping said.

Although he said the Chinese government supports the basic human right of religious freedom, he explained that China has not made a basic comprehensible law for the freedom of religion.

"There is still no decisive law, no basic comprehensive law of religion," Xingping said, "especially enacted by the National Peoples Congress, which should be the basis and authority of all other laws that are relations of religion."

Xingping also addressed why there has not been a law and the difficulties the Chinese government faces in passing such laws.

"Since a religious organization is a social organization, it must be under legal control like all social organizations," he said. "When religion is no more merely a private individual matter but manifests itself instead as a religious organization engaging in activities with others in society, it necessarily must be transparent in its social existence and activities which means it must obey social laws and accept social supervision."

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Resources Michael O. Leavitt followed Xingping "not as a scholar on this subject," Leavitt said.

"You will hear from me a very practical view about the relationship between religion and government," he said.

Leavitt, who served as governor of Utah for 11 years, oversees the largest budget of the federal government, accounting for about one in every four dollars, he said.

Part of his department's time and funds go to the administration's faith-based initiatives because he realized as governor the power in using religious organizations to help with social problems.

"I did become very aware of the profound influence that not just one church but all churches had on the fabric of our community," Leavitt said.

Leavitt described several instances in his service where he turned to religious organizations for help. He also explained why the faith-based initiatives program was created.

"It was a very direct strike at changing the culture of our government," Leavitt said. "Not to take over religion but to partner with religion in dealing with the citizens we both serve in unique and different ways."

The secretary also said a change of heart leads to a change in behavior.

"Because the truth is every nation is the aggregate of the hearts of its people," Leavitt said, "and if one is able to change the heart of any one person you have changed the nation. And one improves the nation, one gains harmony within a nation by unifying the hearts of the people."



Copyright Brigham Young University 6 Oct 2008