Center for Religious Liberty Web site launched

04/14/08

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor continues to build on the strong fundamentals of a Baptist institution as the university takes an active role in establishing a web-based Center for Religious Liberty.

The Center, highlighted on the university's web site and linked under "Academic Centers," officially launched January 2008.

Director of the Center and Dean of the College of Humanities Derek Davis said the motivation behind the founding of the site is not only the substantial need for awareness and action concerning religious liberty, but also the desire to further UMHB's mission as a Baptist institution of higher learning in keeping with Baptists' traditional focus on religious liberty.

"Baptists were at the forefront in the fight for religious liberty in early modern Europe and in early America. (They) have always stood on the side of the separation of church and state, which is the primary means by which religious liberty is achieved; not just for Baptists but for everyone," Davis said. "Equality of all religions under the law is one of the chief hallmarks of the American political and social order, and early Baptists played a strong role in shaping and developing this heritage. Consequently, it is quite appropriate that Mary Hardin-Baylor take a strong interest in religious freedom because it is so deeply imbedded not only in our nation's identity but also in Baptists' historic mission and identity."

With the launching of the web site, university administrators hope to educate, encourage and advance religious freedom to people around the globe while stimulating community involvement.

"As a university, we want to play our part in moving religious liberty forward," Davis said. "Religious liberty has been a significant problem worldwide for all of human history. We want to do what we can to assist those people around the world who suffer from religious prejudice, intolerance and persecution. The creation of this site is a good first step in achieving that goal."

However, he said the mission of the Center is to be more than just a resource for electronic information.

"Merely having a web site that raises awareness of the need for religious liberty worldwide is not our only goal," Davis said. "Keeping others informed about (it) is certainly important, but we hope to do more."

He said the web-based site will also announce events, seminars and forums on the topic while continuing to offer educational information to the community and media. In addition, the site will serve as a resource to connect groups and people who share a similar goal.

"In doing these things, we will always be working closely with other organizations, experts and persons who make up a larger religious liberty network. There is strength in numbers; we cannot do much alone but with others we can."
Visitors to the site will have the opportunity to take what the Center has to offer to a level not previously established through the university.

"We hope to cultivate a deeper sense of this history and to inspire others to make religious freedom a reality for people everywhere," Davis said. "There is no greater human project in the twenty-first century."

Associate Director for the Center David Holcomb shares a similar hope.

"We want the Center to have a global emphasis in order to remind people, that in far too many parts of the world, religious freedom is not seen as a fundamental human right. Religious persecution and discrimination are frequently the norm in many parts today," Holcomb said.

He said through the site, the Center and other interested organizations have the opportunity to come together to educate and promote religious freedom in distinctive ways.

"While we are still discussing some of the plans for the future, we hope to make some unique contributions in this field with our programming and thus do not see ourselves as replicating or competing with similar programs at other universities."

With the establishment of the site, supporters of religious freedom are one step closer toward accomplishing their goal.

"I think this is a very exciting opportunity for UMHB and the community as a whole because of the timely and crucial topic of religious liberty. The Center will make some important contributions to UMHB's academic culture as it will to society as a whole," Holcomb said.

Visit the Center for Religious Liberty at www.umhb.edu/academics/crl

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