The International Association for Religious Freedom | Site-Wide Activity

Rev. Dr. John C Dorhauer became a registered member

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:31:41 +0200

Bob Carroll published a new course.

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 20:10:32 +0200

A three-session exploration of the thought of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kuk, one of the most influential Jewish religious thinkers of the modern era. Rabbi Bob Carroll introduces Kuk as a mystic and Kabbalist before examining how his mystical worldview shaped his approaches to tolerance, pluralism, religious and intellectual freedom, and enduring…Read more

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted an update: The August issue of our newsletter is out! You can read it her […]

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:05:19 +0200

The August issue of our newsletter is out! You can read it here.

Also, please consider subscribing to our Network digest – you can receive an email with everything that has been posted in your groups and courses, new members and public posts every day, every 3 days or every week. It’s a convenient way to stay up to date with what is happening on…

Paul Overend posted an update: Following up on the first session of Pascal Schilling's […]

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:30:21 +0200

Following up on the first session of Pascal Schilling’s excellent lecture course, ‘Free Religion – History and Evolution to the Present Day’, I came across this book

Francis Ellingwood Abbot, The way out of agnosticism; or, The philosophy of free religion (Boston Little Brown and Co, 1890) [Internet Archive]

I share it here as Abbot was a founder o…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new book

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:08:27 +0200

New Resource

The Way Out of Agnosticism; or, The Philosophy of Free Religion

Francis Ellingwood Abbot

Description

Based on forty-one lectures delivered in Harvard University's Advanced Course, Philosophy 13, in 1888, this work argues for a constructive religious liberalism grounded in science and philosophy. Abbot presents a direct response to nineteenth-century agnosticism, aiming to defend enlightened theism…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new book

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:07:16 +0200

New Resource

Free Religion: An American Faith

Stow Persons

Description

A historical study of free religion in the United States, first published by Yale University Press in 1947. Stow Persons traces the movement's emergence from Unitarian and Transcendentalist currents through the Free Religious Association, examining its appeal to reason, democratic…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new book

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 19:07:12 +0200

New Resource

The Religion of Humanity

Octavius Brooks Frothingham

Description

A systematic statement of liberal and naturalistic religion centred on humanity, moral development, and the authority of conscience. Octavius Brooks Frothingham reconsiders God, the Bible, Christ, atonement, providence, immortality, moral inspiration, and the education of conscience in light of modern…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new article

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 18:56:37 +0200

New Resource

The Free Religion Movement

David M. Robinson

Description

A scholarly overview of the Free Religious Association and the nineteenth-century American free religion movement. Robinson traces its Transcendentalist and Unitarian origins, its emphasis on individual religious authority and scientific inquiry, its movement toward a global understanding of religion, and…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new book

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 18:56:35 +0200

New Resource

The Free Religious Association: Its Twenty-Five Years and Their Meaning

William J. Potter

Description

The official 1892 twenty-fifth-anniversary pamphlet of the Free Religious Association of America. It includes a report of the annual convention and William J. Potter's address tracing the association's antecedents, founding, public work, principles of religious freedom and scientific inquiry, and…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz commented on Human Rights Education with Adivasi Women in Kerala in the library

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 17:13:15 +0200

Comment

Human Rights Education with Adivasi Women in Kerala

International Association for Religious Freedom, Religious Freedom Youth Network (RFYN)

Yes, this was a very good programme, and the video is good too, quite professional, actually.

Read Full Thread →

Wytske Dijkstra commented on Human Rights Education with Adivasi Women in Kerala in the library

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 10:30:50 +0200

Comment

Human Rights Education with Adivasi Women in Kerala

International Association for Religious Freedom, Religious Freedom Youth Network (RFYN)

I've visited Kerala on the occasion of the IARF 2010 congress in Kochi. Having visited a similar IARF programme in an other India state, I can see the great importance of these programmes. I particularly appreciate the respectful way in…

Read Full Thread →

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: For over 2,000 years, Kanenuiakea has been the living, […]

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 12:39:41 +0200

For over 2,000 years, Kanenuiakea has been the living, breathing spiritual practice of the Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians). This isn’t a religion you join—it’s one you’re born into through ‘ohana (family/community) or hanai (adoption).

Key facts: • Pre-dates Tahitian arrival (10th century CE) by centuries • Continuous practice since first arrival…

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: For a quarter-century, the Interfaith Encounter Association […]

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 11:00:18 +0200

For a quarter-century, the Interfaith Encounter Association has been building bridges between Jews, Muslims, Christians and others across the Holy Land — not through politics, but through genuine human encounter.

When people meet, listen and share — prejudice becomes friendship.

25 years. 138 groups. 6,000+ encounters. 20,000+ lives con…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new video

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:51:33 +0200

New Resource

Human Rights Education with Adivasi Women in Kerala

International Association for Religious Freedom, Religious Freedom Youth Network (RFYN)

Description

This short documentary records an IARF human-rights education programme with Adivasi women in Kerala, India. Participants describe discrimination experienced in everyday life, including exclusion from upper-caste social events and denial of access to shared wells and water sources. The programme…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new video

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:51:17 +0200

New Resource

C. N. N. Raju on the History of IARF in India

International Association for Religious Freedom, C.N.N. Raju

Description

C. N. N. Raju gives a concise first-person account of the growth of IARF in India. Beginning with his involvement in the Brahmo Samaj, he recalls efforts following an IARF conference in Kolkata to establish branches across the country, eventually…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new video

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:50:34 +0200

New Resource

Human Rights Awareness in Maasai Country, Kenya

International Association for Religious Freedom, Religious Freedom Youth Network (RFYN)

Description

This field recording documents a human-rights awareness programme held on 12 March 2013 in Enarau, a rural community in Kajiado district in Maasai country south of Nairobi. The event was organised by Adhengo Boaz of the Jahwar Amber Fund with…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new video

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:50:20 +0200

New Resource

Bringing Rights Awareness into India through Youth: IARF Human Rights Education

International Association for Religious Freedom, Religious Freedom Youth Network (RFYN), Bro. Albert Xaviour

Description

Bro. Albert Xaviour describes how IARF’s human-rights education work helped young adults in India move from learning about rights to carrying practical awareness into rural communities. Drawing on his own background in a fishing family and social work, he recalls…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new event recording

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:49:22 +0200

New Resource

Religion and Conflict Prevention: IARF EME Conference 2016 at a Glance

International Association for Religious Freedom

Description

A short retrospective film from the 2016 conference of IARF’s Europe and Middle East Region, held in Tetovo, North Macedonia, 22–25 August 2016 under the theme “Religion and Conflict Prevention.” Hosted by the Bektashi Community and the Evropa Centre for…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new event recording

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:49:07 +0200

New Resource

Richard Boeke Receives the IARF Distinguished Leadership Award

International Association for Religious Freedom, Richard Boeke

Description

At the 35th IARF World Congress in Washington, DC, Rev. Dr. Richard Boeke receives the Distinguished Leadership Award in recognition of a lifetime of work for international liberal religion, interfaith understanding and peace. The presentation recalls his involvement in IARF…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz published a new event recording

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:46:30 +0200

New Resource

Indigenous Access to Sacred Sites on Private Land: IARF Oral Statement at the UN Human Rights Council

International Association for Religious Freedom

Description

On 5 March 2026, the International Association for Religious Freedom delivered this oral statement during the Human Rights Council’s interactive dialogue with UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief Nazila Ghanea. Responding to the Special Rapporteur’s report on…

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: Did you know UU has roots across Latin America? Here's the […]

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:21:33 +0200

Did you know UU has roots across Latin America? Here’s the story:

History: In January 2005, delegates from Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, and Puerto Rico gathered in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Argentina to form AUULA (Alianza Unitaria Universalista Latinoamericana) — the Latin American UU Association. Many discovered UU…

Mohammad Monir Hossain became a registered member

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 22:02:52 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted an update: Geschichten unter einem Zelt begins this Sunday in Frankfurt […]

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:00:08 +0200

Geschichten unter einem Zelt begins this Sunday in Frankfurt am Main. From 30 August to 4 September, the Dialogzelt beside the Paulskirche brings together people from different religious and cultural traditions for conversations, music, worship and public dialogue.

IARF is one of the international partners, alongside our member organisation BEYOND.…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:59:35 +0200

Emma Serrano became a registered member

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:32:45 +0200

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: Did you know Unitarianism took root in Scandinavia more than […]

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:32:03 +0200

Did you know Unitarianism took root in Scandinavia more than 125 years ago?

🇳🇴 Norway: In 1895, the celebrated poet Kristofer Janson — who had been ordained in Chicago in 1881 as a missionary to Nordic immigrants — founded Norway’s first Unitarian church in Oslo. Because his congregation rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, Norway’s Parliament ref…

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: Should everyone have equal access to life's most important […]

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:10:27 +0200

Should everyone have equal access to life’s most important moments – regardless of belief?

In Lithuania, humanist celebrants now conduct around 500 weddings a year, up from just nine a decade ago. Yet unlike clergy, they still cannot legally register marriages, and many families struggle to arrange funerals without religious symbols.

On World H…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:24:22 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:22:03 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 05:21:55 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted an update: A quick reminder that Pascal Schilling’s new course, Free R […]

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 05:00:54 +0200

A quick reminder that Pascal Schilling’s new course, Free Religion – History and Evolution to the Present Day, begins today at 15:00 UTC / 17:00 CEST.

The first session is “A Rebellion of the Mind – The Birth of Free Religion in 19th-Century Germany.” Slides and additional reading are already available on the course page. Everyone is very welcome t…

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: Discover the Unitarian Society of the Polish Brethren […]

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:54:23 +0200

Discover the Unitarian Society of the Polish Brethren (Towarzystwo Unitarian im. Braci Polskich) — a community rooted in Poland’s remarkable tradition of free thought dating back to the 16th century.

Guided by the values of Freedom, Reason, and Tolerance, we draw wisdom from many sources — Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, science, and poetry. No…

AD Jeff B became a registered member

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:29:40 +0200

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: Join us for an inspiring online lecture: "A Rebellion of the […]

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:17:17 +0200

Join us for an inspiring online lecture: “A Rebellion of the Mind – The Birth of Free Religion in 19th-Century Germany” with Pascal Schilling, Minister of the Free Religious Congregation in Offenbach am Main and Chair of Europe and Middle East Region of the IARF

– Sunday, 23 August 2026 | 15:00 UTC | Online

Explore how Enlightenment ideals sparked a…

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: Since the 2014 genocide, Yezidis have endured ongoing […]

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:02:24 +0200

Since the 2014 genocide, Yezidis have endured ongoing persecution, discrimination, and a complete absence of legal protection in Iraq. A recent shift in Dutch asylum policy now classifies Iraq as “safe,” resulting in the widespread rejection of asylum claims from Yezidis.

IARF is taking action. We are supporting young Yezidis in the Netherlands and…

Nagoor Kani became a registered member

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:07:15 +0200

Fotini Tzouveleki became a registered member

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:44:09 +0200

Sander Winckel became a registered member

Sat, 15 Aug 2026 13:05:53 +0200

Saulo Cruz became a registered member

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 03:56:59 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:33:08 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:33:08 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:33:08 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted a new event

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 19:33:08 +0200

Gabor Kiss became a registered member

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 03:23:06 +0200

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz posted an update: The June issue of our newsletter is out! You can read it here. […]

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:56:46 +0200

The June issue of our newsletter is out! You can read it here.

Also, please consider subscribing for our digest – you can receive an email with everything that has been posted in your groups and courses, new members and public posts every day, every 3 days or every week. It’s a convenient way to stay up to date with what is happening on the IAR…

Lukasz (Luke) Liniewicz wrote a new post

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 23:16:02 +0200

Faith Must Be a Liberating Force: IARF Statement on the Berlin CSD Attack Berliners gathered in mourning on Sunday, 26 July, following the previous evening’s attack near the city’s Christopher Street Day celebrations. One woman was […]

Arben Sulejmani published a new course.

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 19:46:08 +0200

History, Wisdom, Art and Contemporary Witness

This four-session course offers an accessible introduction to Bektashism: a mystical Sufi path within Islam known for its openness, poetry, humanism, hospitality and commitment to peace among people of different faiths and cultures.

Guided by Dr Arben Sulejmani, author of A Light of Guidance: The…

Lillian Drab-Braddick became a registered member

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 15:56:49 +0200

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: In a world that profits from pitting us against each other, […]

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:18:25 +0200

In a world that profits from pitting us against each other, real strength looks like this: choosing solidarity over suspicion, even — especially — when someone doesn’t look like you, pray like you, or come from the same place.

Race, ethnicity, religion — these are real differences, not illusions. But they don’t cancel out the deeper truth: we…

Ernests Ivanovs posted an update: Empowering Women Across Faiths Since 1910The International […]

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 10:44:49 +0200

Empowering Women Across Faiths Since 1910

The International Association of Liberal Religious Women (IALRW) is a global interfaith network that connects liberal religious women from Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, and other traditions.

For over a century, IALRW has been building bridges of friendship, cooperation, and understanding while…