Religious Liberty
The Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) department is to keep abreast of developing conditions and legislation which may affect religious liberty, and to take positive action for preserving religious freedom. This includes:
- freedom of conscience and belief;
- freedom to worship; and
- freedom for the unrestricted activities of the church.
PARL stands for the general defence of religious liberty for all people and in particular, helps members who are having problems regarding religious liberty. It acts as the point of contact with government in general matters and fosters a clearer understanding of the Christian's duty to God and government.
Church members may wish to contact their local church pastor or the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director of the conference about issues such as:
- Sabbath work and exam schedule conflicts
- Religious discrimination at the workplace
- Military service and non-combatancy problems
- Trade union membership
If you are facing religious liberty issues, your first point of contact should either be your local church pastor, or the local conference president.
Useful links:
Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church http://parl.gc.adventist.org
International Religious Liberty Association www.irla.or
