Limits of Religious Freedom and Tolerance: IARF EME Conference 2025
The IARF Europe and Middle East Regional Conference 2025 will explore the "Limits of Religious Freedom and Tolerance" in Frankfurt and Offenbach, Germany. This hybrid conference, hosted by German IARF member groups, will bring together members from all regions to discuss and promote liberal religion.
Can a purpose for religion be deduced?
Religion largely aims to instill the Golden Rule, emphasizing compassion across different traditions, as highlighted on Karen Armstrong's CharterforCompassion.org. This ethos, promoting altruism, drives human survival and outlines initiatives like the Unitarian Universalist Association’s commitment to transforming the world through liberating love, addressing global ills such as hate, greed, and social inequalities.
New Book: “Fideology: A journey of Faith and Trust by Richard Boeke”, long-time IARF bridge-builder.
By on 19/04/2024
Rev. Dr. Richard Boeke’s latest book is Fideology: Building Trust through the Shared Experience of Faith at the Root of the World’s Religions.Fideology refers to “faith as trust. The word, coined by Richard, is based on the same Greek roots as fidelity, confidence, and bona fide. Richard credits his teacher, Professor Wilfred Cantwell Smith, and friend and mentor Huston Smith, […]
IARF-US Launches Monthly Discussion Series
The US Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom is excited to announce a new monthly discussion series. On the third Wednesday of each month between April and December 2024, presenters will share their personal global spiritualities or alternately provide suggestions for how to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)—an essential element […]
Update from the 68th UN Commission on the Status of Women
Rev. Dr. Esther Suter reports on UNCSW's 68th session, covering the digital gender divide, the impact on young women like Toniyah from BGR, and Gambia's controversial stance on female circumcision.
Watch “Levels of Dialogue: Religious Experience in an Interfaith Context”
By on 07/02/2024
In this session, recorded on 13 November 2023 during Inter Faith Week, the British Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom, in collaboration with the World Congress of Faiths, embarked on a deep exploration of interreligious dialogue’s dynamic tension between the unique characteristics of different faiths and their universal connections. The event, held via […]
Call for Action: Support Yahaya Sharif-Aminu
The International Association for Religious Freedom urges its members and supporters worldwide to stand in solidarity with Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a 23-year-old Nigerian singer facing the gravest of injustices. Sharif-Aminu has been sentenced to death for sharing a song via WhatsApp, an act deemed blasphemous by Nigerian authorities. This severe punishment raises serious questions about the […]
President’s New Year Letter
Dear Sisters and Brothers of IARF, As the Winter Solstice ushers in a change of seasons, may the increasing light bring us hope, rebirth, and renewal. Our traditions universally celebrate the New Year with symbols of the victory of light over darkness, good over evil. Christmas heralds Jesus as the Light of the World, Hanukkah […]
Commemorating the Anniversary of Professor Van Holk’s Courageous Stance
On its 83rd anniversary, we remember Professor L. van Holk’s (1893-1982) historic protest speech against the persecution of Jews at Leiden University. The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) commemorates Van Holk not only as a Remonstrant theologian and a revered scholar but also as its dedicated secretary, deeply committed to religious freedom and human […]