People of faith have numerous concerns about threats to religious freedom in Australia, both at state and federal levels, deriving from an attitude of hostility towards religious belief, morals and practice among some in the Australian population. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right. It is guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other international instruments in the clearest and strongest terms.
Religious freedom can be further defined by the following five basic freedoms. These freedoms are:
Freedom to manifest a religion through religious observance and practice
Freedom to appoint people of faith to organisations run by faith communities
Freedom to teach and uphold moral standards within faith communities
Freedom of conscience to discriminate between right and wrong
Freedom to teach and persuade others.
The Federal Government should protect religious freedom by:
1. Establishing a national policy on religious freedom consistent with the principles outlined in this paper.
2. Taking whatever action is appropriate, including legislation, to ensure that these freedoms are protected in Australian society at both federal and state levels.
3. Establishing a means of monitoring compliance with government policy.
4. If the Government decides to enact a Human Rights Act, ensuring that religious freedom, as articulated in this paper, is properly protected in accordance with the requirements of the United Nations’ declarations and covenants, in particular the ICCPR.
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